Baroness Fox has admitted she is “hypocritical” as a result of her life peerage in the House of Lords, but holds the post for pragmatic reasons.
Speaking on GB News, Fox says she remains steadfast in her belief the chamber should be abolished, claiming it is undemocratic.
She was included on a 36-strong peerage list in 2020, and when asked whether she is “enjoying” the role by GB News’ Nana Akua, Fox said “that’s overstating it”.
“I still think it’s an anti-democratic chamber and should be abolished”, she said.
Claire Fox spoke to Nana Akua on GB News
GB NEWS
“I know that makes me a hypocrite. But, we’ll live. It’s a platform, and I think that if you feel that strongly about lots of issues like I do, you take the opportunities that you have.”
Speaking about her role in the legislative chamber, Fox admitted that it is time consuming, made even more so by her lack of staff.
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Baroness Claire Fox hits out at the House of Lords
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“I didn’t realise how influential the House of Lords was in making laws and so I have to read lots of legislation”, she said.
“I’m not a lawyer, I’m also not in a political party, so I haven’t got a load of staff doing things, so I have to read it myself.
“I think it gives me an opportunity to say some of the things which I know ordinary people are worried about that nobody else would dare say in the House of Lords.
“If I can give voice to that, it means that I can make what I consider to be important points about how the law should not be framed.”
Fox told Akua why she believes Boris Johnson nominated her for a peerage in 2020, attributing the then Prime Minister’s desire to “acknowledge” Red Wall voters.
“Brexit was a big issue and the Red Wall had rebelled”, she said.
“They brought in Kate Howie, Gisela Stewart and myself and in a way we were the kind of left Brexiteers and they wanted to acknowledge all those Labour Red Wall voters.
“So I assume that’s the motivation for why I got in there.”
Fox told GB News last year she had to think “long and hard” about taking the Peerage.
“I think it needs to be abolished because I think that having an unelected second chamber that has a disproportionate influence on the decision making around legislation is problematic”, she said.