Ministerial role

Spokesman and Whip in the House of Lords, Baroness in Waiting

Organisations: Office of the Leader of the House of Lords

Responsibilities

Government spokesman for Women and Equalities and the Department for Work and Pensions, and Whip for the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

Lords Whips have the same constitutional position as departmental ministers. Their role in the House of Lords is different from that of Whips in the Commons, which is predominantly party management.

A Lords Whip has an active role at the despatch box promoting and defending departmental policy which involves:

  • answering questions
  • responding to debates
  • taking through primary and secondary legislation

If the department concerned does not have a departmental minister in the House of Lords, all of that department’s business will fall to a Whip.

Previous holders of this role

  1. The Rt Hon Baroness Stowell of Beeston MBE

    2011 to 2013