Anger over trans baron using male title in peerage bid
A BARON could be set to join the House of Lords using a title they inherited as a man, despite now identifying as female.
But daughters who have been bypassed from inheriting titles due to their sex have claimed Matilda Simon, the third Baron of Wythenshawe, is trying to ‘have her cake and eat it’.
Matilda was born as Matthew Simon in 1955 and therefore inherited a title instead of her elder sister. The 68-year-old trans woman is now tipped to stand in a by-election to fill a vacancy for a hereditary peer in the Lords. Campaigners for women’s rights have pointed out that if she identifies as female, then the title should go to older sister Margaret who was born two years earlier.
But under a legal loophole, a person changing gender ‘does not affect the descent of any peerage or dignity or title of honour’ – something campaigners say needs to change. The vacancy among the 92 hereditary peers was created by the retirement of Viscount Falkland in March. Today is the closing date for entries, with the candidates being voted on by all sitting peers next month.
If elected, the trans baron would become the only woman among the chamber’s hereditary peers. Charlotte Carew Pole, from Daughters’ Rights which campaigns against the exclusion of women inheriting titles, said: ‘If Matilda is a woman, surely her older sister should have the title. Matilda can’t have it both ways.’
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington, co-founder of the Women2Win campaign to increase female representation in Parliament, told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘When you stop to think about the absurdity of this... it makes you wonder whether Lady Matilda thinks they can have their cake and eat it.’
The baron could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
‘The absurdity... makes you wonder’