In this month’s episode of the House of Lords Podcast, we are talking about protecting children and strengthening the Union, plus RuPaul’s Drag Race and seeing yourself on stage. Children and the internet‘I saw in the attention economy that, in order to create as much value as possible from data… you created features of the system that were unsafe or exposing for children… They should not be working for the man in Silicon Valley.’ First, we speak to Baroness Kidron about her work to protect...

What is needed to make England a healthier nation? And why are two committees concerned about government use of secondary legislation? Find out in this month's House of Lords Podcast. What is needed to make England a healthier nation? We hear from Karren Brady and Phil Willis – Baroness Brady and Lord Willis of Knaresborough – this month on the report just issued by their committee. The Lords Sport and Recreation Committee has called for a new national plan for sport, health and wellbeing....

We are discussing the environment and climate change this month on the House of Lords Podcast. We spoke to two leading environmental campaigners in the House about their perceptions of the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow. We also discuss work in the Lords on the environment, and the balance between personal, government and international responsibilities in combatting climate change. First up Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, one of two Green Party members in the Lords, gives us her...

For the first of our two October episodes, and in celebration of Black History Month, discover the story of Lord Pitt of Hampstead in partnership with the Parliamentary Archives. The second Black peer in the House of Lords, for many years Dr David Pitt was one of the most recognisable civil rights campaigners in Britain. From Grenada to Camden via Scotland and the House of Lords, learn more about this leading figure who contributed significantly to the passing of race relations...

This month we hear from Parliament’s two Speakers: Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, and Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. In this episode, they discuss how their similar backgrounds have forged a new working relationship between the two speakers, the importance of engaging with the whole country and the surprisingly international aspects of their roles. ‘We share a common heritage in that we're both local lads from the area that we represented. And that was a really...

·      How do you decide what constitutes the House of Lords when you cannot all meet in person? ·      How has life changed for women in Parliament over the last 21 years? ·      What do clerks do when they’re sat at the table in the chamber? ·      How does it feel to miss out on a tour of the Washington Post with Brad Pitt? This month we hear from Chloe Mawson on all of these questions and more. Chloe is the Clerk Assistant, the second most senior role in the House of Lords Administration...

What drove Lord McFall of Alcluith to stand for election as Lord Speaker, and what does he hope to achieve? This month we speak to the newly elected Lord Speaker about his career as a teacher and then in Parliament. ‘The best think tank in town’ Lord McFall also explains what makes the House of Lords unique, responding to the pandemic and  how he thinks both Houses of Parliament should collaborate more. ‘What has driven me has been a sense of monstrous injustice which has got to be put...

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...

This month we speak to two members about what inspires them, how they fight for change from inside the House of Lords and mobilising support for changes to draft laws. ‘I believe that anyone who has the privilege of serving in our Parliament… has a duty, not just a privilege, but a duty to use that platform to speak for others, for whom no one else will speak.’We speak to Lord Alton of Liverpool about his work campaigning against human rights abuses around the world, including Tigray, Hong...

It's LGBT+ History Month in February and we are joined by actor, campaigner and politician Lord Cashman on the podcast. He talks about his life and journey to the Lords, fighting for equality and founding Stonewall with colleagues including Sir Ian McKellen, and how he works to make a difference as a member of the House of Lords. We also hear his thoughts on the new Channel 4 drama It's a Sin, written by Russell T Davies. We are also joined in this episode by Lord Patel, Chair of the Lords...

Welcome back to our December episode. In part 2, we hear from Lord Teverson, chair of the EU Environment Sub-Committee, about what brought him to the Lords, his committee's work, plus why fisheries and chlorinated chicken have been big subjects in Brexit negotiations. We also continue our interviews for Disability History Month with Baroness Campbell of Surbiton. Jane Campbell is a lifelong disability rights campaigner and we hear about her journey from protesting on Westminster Bridge to the...

We have so much to share with you this month that we are releasing this episode in two parts. In this episode, hear from Olivia about how the Lords Legislation Office works and what it feels like to take on a role that dates back hundreds of years. We also speak to Tanni Grey-Thompson, Baroness Grey-Thompson, about her career, her role in the Lords, campaigning for disability rights and getting people in the UK active. In part 2, coming next week, we’ll continue our Disability History Month...

Like everyone, the House of Lords has needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included doing things differently but also scrutinising the UK response to coronavirus and the lessons we need to learn. In this episode, Amy and Matt speak to the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler about his role and the House of Lords. They also speak to Deputy Speaker Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Government Whip Baroness Penn about how work in the chamber of the Lords has changed, and to Baroness...

Have you ever wondered what the House of Lords does, how it works and who makes up its membership? In our new podcast, you will hear from members and staff of the House of Lords as we explore what is happening and what it is like to be a part of the UK Parliament. Our first episode is coming very soon. Subscribe now to be the first to hear it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.