The lady vanishes!
Baroness Bra’s Lords attendance dwindling
IN her maiden speech, she pledged that she would play ‘a full and active role’ in the House of Lords.
Yet it appears that bra tycoon Michelle Mone – more formally known as Baroness Mone Of Mayfair – is struggling to keep her promise.
Official records show that, in the 16 months since she became an Honourable Member, her attendance in the Upper House has tailed off dramatically.
She has yet to ask or answer a single question, and her maiden speech remains her only Lords address.
Although she vowed to ‘inspire and support the next generation of entrepreneurs’ and to speak out on the role and importance of women, she has missed several key debates.
Yet she has posted countless photos on Twitter of exotic holidays.
When she was made a peer, Douglas Anderson, boss of the £150 million Gap Group in Glasgow, described her as ‘a smalltime businesswoman with PR exposure far in excess of any success’.
Yesterday he said: ‘This shows she’s not interested. She wanted the title but she’s not facing up to the responsibilities. To turn up so infrequently gives the House of Lords a bad name. Frankly, it’s a joke.’
She made 12 appearances in the Second Chamber in January and February of last year.
In the current 2016-17 session of Parliament which began in May, the Tory peer, 45, has been present on only seven out of a possible 86 working days. But since May, her Twitter account shows snaps of her bikini-clad in
Jerusalem, golfing in a miniskirt in Spain, at Formula 1 racing in Texas, and on a private jetski getaway to France.
Baroness Mone also frequently appears live on the QVC shopping channel to advertise her latest jewellery ranges.
However, other peers show more commitment.
Lord McAvoy, the 73-year-old former MP for Glasgow Rutherglen appointed a Labour peer by Gordon Brown, attended on 82 of a possible 86 days.
He refused to criticise Baroness Mone’s record, but said: ‘I regard it as important to fulfil the principle on which I was put in there, to do a job of work.’
But the Baroness has missed several debates she would have been expected to attend, such as one last January on women in business and one in April about the mentoring of young people by successful entrepreneurs.
A spokesman for the peer said: ‘Her first project was to research and author a report about start-up businesses. Baroness Mone spent 62 days on this as well as making appearances at the House of Lords.
‘Baroness Mone is also a full-time businesswoman and entrepreneur but takes her work at the House of Lords very seriously and is very proud to be a member. She will also continue to donate any payments from her role to charity.’