Baronesses’ husbands may get own titles
CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT IT’S been a thorny problem ever since Barbara Wootton and Stella Isaacs became the first female peers in the House of Lords. What to call their husbands? Or, more precisely, what title to give them?
For almost 60 years – or at least since that groundbreaking day in October 1958 – spouses of female peers have received no credit for their wives’ success, being referred to as plain “Mr”. In contrast, the wives of male peers get to be called “Lady”.
But an end to such blatant sexism may be at hand. The Government is considering a new title for the hundreds of husbands of baronesses.
A Cabinet Office minister disclosed the plans in the House of Lords when asked by Baroness Butler-Sloss if the Government would “look at titles for the spouses of female members of this house”.
Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, who represents the Cabinet Office in the House of Lords, said: “Yes, we will certainly do that.” Such a move may be welcomed by Baroness Chisholm’s own husband, Mr Colin Chisholm.
A Cabinet Office spokesman declined to say whether the husbands of Dames might also get their own titles. They are currently also referred to as “Mr”.
Baroness Deech, who has campaigned for spouses of female peers to get a title, said “at least” three quarters of the spouses of 203 baronesses in the Lords are plain “Mr”, “Dr” or “Professor”.
She said: “It is we women who see it as an issue of status versus partnership.
“[The sharing of titles] would express the fact that in general the husbands or partners of the women who have titles like Baroness have been just as supportive and share in their life stories as the other way round.”