Plaid Cymru life peer from Anglesey is youngest ever

THE youngest ever life peer has taken her seat in the House of Lords, which she wants to abolish.

Plaid Cymru’s Carmen Smith, 28, will go by the title Baroness Smith of Llanfaes, after the Ynys Môn village where she grew up.

She chose the title to “shine a light on the experiences of people in areas like mine”.

She has succeeded as the youngest ever life peer Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge, who was made a life peer in July 2023 at the age of 30.

The average age in the unelected chamber is 71.

Lady Smith was supported by former Plaid leader Lord Wigley of Caernarfon and former Green

Party leader Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle during the short introduction ceremony.

Wearing a a fake fur robe, rather than a traditional ermine one, she swore the oath of allegiance to the King in both English and Welsh.

She was a Coleg Menai student between 2013 and 2015, and was Student Union president at the college. She then studied law at Bangor University for one year before leaving her studies to campaign to become NUS Wales deputy president in 2016.

At 25 she became chief of staff to the Plaid Senedd group and has campaigned on issues such as widening access into education, the right to selfdetermination and tackling poverty.

Lord Wigley, Plaid’s honorary president, said he planned to retire from the Lords at the next general election as he turns 81 in April.

Lady Smith’s appointment to the upper chamber was not without controversy as she was not the first choice of the party membership. Although she came second in the vote to a man, the rules meant that she received the nomination because she was female.

As well as supporting Welsh independence, the Plaid activist wants to see the Lords scrapped.

Like other peers she will be able to claim the daily attendance allowance of £343, plus travel expenses.

Also joining the red benches as a Tory peer was disability rights campaigner Rosa Monckton.

The 70-year-old was supported by fellow Conservative peer Lord Altrincham and Independent crossbencher Lord Laming as she swore the oath of allegiance.

Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest is a former chief executive of the luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co and managing director of Asprey and Garrard.