This month, we hear from Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane Fox of Soho, about the work of the Lords COVID-19 Committee, which she chairs. She discusses the impact of the pandemic on the digital shift in our lives and what more the government needs to do to ensure nobody is left behind. ‘We heard so many examples of very, very difficult situations for children to be learning and when they were forced online at the beginning of the first lockdown. Families sharing one smartphone between multiple children, I mean, I just can't imagine how stressful that must have been for people and we know it was.’ Martha also talks about her journey to the Lords and what surprised her when she first joined, plus her own experience of the rapid shift to online living over the last 15 months. ‘I have been amazed at the rapid process of acceleration through some of the trends of the last year.’ Amy and Matt also discuss the upcoming State Opening of Parliament, its origins and how changes to the ceremony are not as unprecedented as you might think. Find out more about the Lords COVID-19 CommitteeFind out more about the State Opening of Parliament See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.