When I took my seat in the House of Lords almost a year ago, I pledged to campaign for the abolition of my job. Our second chamber has become a gated community of more than 800 members, making it the second largest legislative chamber in the world, topped only by China’s National People’s Congress. The House of Lords casts a shadow over parliament, and its unelected peers have a huge influence on the laws that get passed.
Last March, I joined the second chamber representing Plaid Cymru. Aged 28, I was the youngest member of the chamber, and the youngest ever life peer. Plaid Cymru doesn’t believe that an unelected chamber should form part of our democracy, but we do believe that we should have a seat at the table wherever decisions affecting Wales are being made. Since taking my seat in the Lords, I have been clear about my desire to change the system from within, while standing up for Welsh people and for young people across Britain.
