Baroness Trumpington is an institution. Today, while debating the Equality Bill, she made a very good point about House of Lords titles. The wife of a peer becomes known as Lady x, but the husband of a female peer remains plain Mister. You may very think that more serious issues lie before the country, and you'd be right, but indulge me.
Lady Trumpington tells of embarrassing stays in hotels, ostensibly with a man with a different surname. Eyebrows were raised. But it gets worse. I shall now trump Lady Trumpington's dilemma.
Let's really enter the realm of fantasy and imagine for one delicious moment that David Cameron plucks me from the nether regions of the Approved Candidates List and decides I'd make a great new member of the House Lords. [Adopts Frankie Howerd voice] No, stop laughing at the back! Listen, no listen, Mrs!
Would my civil partner get a title? I suspect Lady Dale wouldn't be the one he'd go for seeing as he is neither a 'Laydee' nor called Dale. As far as I know there aren't any civil partnered gay couples in the Lords.
It doesn't solve the Trumpington hotel dilemma, but why not just allow husbands, civil partners etc to call themselves The Hon. X?
Or does anyone have another suggestion?
Or don't you give a damn? Oh well, this post passed a happy few minutes on the 17.23 from Charing Cross, if nothing else!
