Miscarriage of justice claim rejected as peer suspended for ‘Lord Poppadom’ slur
Conservative peer Baroness Meyer has been suspended from Parliament for three weeks after breaching harassment rules.
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Your support makes all the difference.Claims of a “miscarriage of justice” were rejected as a baroness was suspended from Parliament for twice calling a British-Asian peer “Lord Poppadom”.
Conservative peer Baroness Meyer’s language, referring to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Dholakia, was branded “offensive” and having a “racial element”.
Lady Meyer also touched Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s braids without her permission.
The use of such offensive language is simply not acceptable.
The 71-year-old was found to have breached harassment rules as both complaints were upheld, with the racial element being an “aggravating” factor in her comments to Lord Dholakia.
Lady Meyer has been suspended for three weeks and told to undergo bespoke behaviour training “to support her in reflecting on her behaviour”.
Fellow Conservative peer Lord Hamilton of Epsom claimed this verdict was a “total miscarriage of justice”.
Seeking to defend Lady Meyer, he told peers on Wednesday that her “Lord Poppadom” comment had been a joke, and that she had been drinking alcohol at the time, but insisted “she hasn’t got a racist bone in her body”.
Chairwoman of the House of Lords Conduct Committee Baroness Manningham-Buller said “the use of such offensive language is simply not acceptable” and that Lady Meyer had not appealed against the verdict.
The former MI5 boss and independent crossbench peer said: “I don’t agree that this is a total miscarriage of justice.
“Lady Meyer changed her story, she had ample time to question and challenge the evidence of the complaints and the witnesses…
“She addressed, twice, Lord Dholakia as ‘Lord Poppadom’ and he subsequently complained about this. To say this was just a joke is not how it was received.
“She was given two weeks in which to appeal against the commissioner’s findings. She did not do so. The facts are clear and uncontested.”
Lord Hamilton said: “Lady Meyer’s reputation has been completely shredded by the verdict that has come from the Conduct Committee.
“She has been accused of being a racist and I say I can’t imagine anyone less racist than her.”
He added: “I’m afraid the reality is that alcohol affects us differently and certainly my advice to Lady Meyer would be it is not the best time to crack jokes, which is what she said she was doing when referring to ‘Lord Poppadom’.
“But, at the same time, you can’t accuse her of racism. This is nothing to do with racism at all.
“Lady Meyer has a daughter-in-law who is half-Eritrean and she hasn’t got a racist bone in her body.
“So she’s been subjected to an extraordinary kangaroo court, which has been held in secret.”
He concluded: “This is a really very serious matter for Lady Meyer, her reputation has been completely blackened by this verdict today and all I would say is, it may be Catherine Meyer today but it could be you tomorrow.”
However, at the suggestion of Labour frontbencher Lord Kennedy of Southwark, he retracted the comment about the Conduct Committee being a “kangaroo court”.
Lady Manningham-Buller said in her response: “Of course the committee meets in private, because sometimes it will dismiss complaints and it is essential that that continues to happen.”
The incidents in question took place during a visit to Rwanda in February with the Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which Lady Meyer and both complainants are members.
Lady Meyer is said to have called Lord Dholakia “Lord Poppadom” during a taxi journey on the trip, having previously apologised for mistakenly referring to him as “Lord Popat”, the name of another peer of South Asian heritage.
Lady Meyer initially denied the allegation, but after hearing witness evidence, said that incident took place at the end of a long day after she had drunk “possibly three glasses of wine”.
Lord Dholakia said it made him “very annoyed, very angry that people should use expressions of this nature”.
In a separate incident on the same visit in February, Lady Meyer complimented Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s hair and asked her if she could touch it, before doing so without waiting for a reply or permission.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, said it had made her feel “extremely uncomfortable” and “as if she could just do whatever she wanted”.
In responding to Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s complaint, Lady Meyer said that she had intended a friendly gesture, and had been unaware that it would be unwelcome.
Lady Manningham Buller said: “Both incidents were mortifying and upsetting for those involved and both met the test of harassment…
“The commissioner also found that in the case of Lady Meyer’s words to Lord Dholakia the harassment had a racial element.
“It would be hard to deny the racial overtones of the words ‘Lord Poppadom’ as addressed to him.
“The commissioner concluded on the balance of probabilities that there was no racial element to the second incident related to Ms Ribeiro-Addy braids.”
She added that Lord Dholakia is “a senior member of this House with 25 years standing, a fellow member of the Joint Committee and a privy counsellor”.
Her comments come after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed the report that called for Lady Meyer’s suspension and said: “We all must treat each other with respect at all times.”
The House of Lords agreed on Wednesday to the three-week suspension of Lady Meyer.
Lady Meyer has been contacted for comment.