Doreen Lawrence to be made Baroness
Doreen Lawrence, long time race activist and mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, will be made a Baroness in the new Peers intake.
She is to join the Labour benches in the House of Lords. This will be seen by many as a coup for the Labour party Leader Ed Miliband.
Doreen's work and her tenacity in tackling the big issues around race inequality such as police ‘Stop and Search’, and confronting ‘institutional racism’, will be seen by the Labour party as a great asset and a potential vote winner for Black communities.
Mrs Lawrence has already received an OBE and several Doctorates from various universities for her work including founding the Stephen Lawrence Charitible Trust, a school that enables bright young men and women to excel through education.
She is a member of both the board and the council of the human rights organisation Liberty, as well as being a patron of the hate crime charity Stop Hate UK. Millions saw her take part in the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony last year.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party said:
"Doreen Lawrence is a hero of modern Britain. The strength and courage she has shown in her fight for justice for her son Stephen has had a profound impact on attitudes to racism and policing. Her campaigning has changed, and will continue to change, our country for the better. Ed Miliband believes voices like hers should always be heard in parliament."
It is expected the new list of working peers will be announced today, with the Conservatives receiving an extra 15 working peers, the Liberal Democrats an extra 10 and Labour an extra five.
There will be many out there who like us will see this as clear recognition for a woman who has dedicated much of her life to tackle the surge of racism in this county.
Well done Baroness Lawrence, we look forward to your campaigning zeal in the upper chamber.
Simon Woolley
