A baroness has been recommended for three weeks’ suspension from the House of Lords for calling a peer “Lord Poppadom” and touching an MP’s braids without her permission.
Baroness Catherine Meyer is accused of referring to Lord Dholakia as “Lord Poppadom” twice during a taxi journey while on a visit to Rwanda with parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) in February.
During the same visit, the 71-year-old widow of former US ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer, complimented Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s hair and asked if she could touch it.
Without waiting for a reply, Lady Meyer then lifted up one of Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s braids, a conduct report said.
Lady Meyer initially said the “Lord Poppadom” accusations were “unfounded” and “baseless”.
But after evidence from two witnesses, she admitted the incident took place at the end of a long day and after a dinner where she had drunk “possibly three glasses of wine”.
She then acknowledged: “It is possible I said it, but I don’t remember.”
Lady Meyer did not deny the incident with Ms Ribeiro-Addy and said she had intended it as a friendly gesture and had been “entirely unaware” it would be unwelcome, the report said.
“Oh gosh, I did the wrong thing,” she said immediately after understanding the MP’s body language.
The report said Lady Meyer initially called Lord Dholakia “Lord Popat” – another member of the House of Lords of South Asian heritage – and immediately apologised.
But then other members of the party said they had heard her call him Lord Poppadom twice, while he was present in the taxi, although he had not heard the remarks.
Members of the committee were discussing it and Lord Dholakia said he felt “shocked” and “very uncomfortable” and said he felt he could not continue as a member of the JCHR alongside Lady Meyer.
Ms Riberio-Addy was one of two witnesses who submitted a complaint, alongside her complaint about Lady Meyer touching her hair.
The complaints committee said as there was no abuse or misuse of power so Lady Meyer’s behaviour did not constitute bullying but as it was unwanted and impacted Lord Dholakia, it was harassment related to race.
The committee said the “lasting impact” on Ms Ribeiro-Addy from the hair incident and the name calling was “apparent from her complaint”.
She wrote: “With every week and every request to just write my complaint I grew angrier and more distressed about the situation.
“Unable to put the complaint into words without becoming very upset.”
The committee said Lady Meyer touching the MP’s hair without her permission was harassment as it was unwanted, violated her dignity, was perceived as harassment and it was reasonable for her to perceive it in that way.
But, they said Lady Meyer showed remorse and willingness to apologise, and determined she had no malicious or racist intention in touching Ms Ribeiro-Addy’s hair.
The committee therefore recommended she be suspended from the House of Lords for three weeks due to the racial element of the first incident, and “bespoke behaviour training” for both incidents.
