Onwards, towards the 21st century, for the House of Lords. Martha Lane Fox is leading her first debate in the chamber, on the 25th anniversary this week of the worldwide web. On her appointment to the Lords as Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, she hinted at her progressive approach by joking about the perks of free nipple tassels and a discount in Chinatown, but has also been on hand as a technological guru.
Lane Fox, whose charity Go ON UK focuses on making the UK more digitally skilled, has proven her expertise by helping the peers — average age 70 — with their tech queries.
Lane Fox leads the debate on Thursday, and the galleries above the chamber may well heave and creak for the first time in ages. It’s “very exciting,” she tells the Londoner. “I’ve invited some tech people I know in London to watch and hope it will be one of many web-related events this year.” Among them are leaders in start-ups for whom she works, including people such as 3D digital printer Alice Taylor.
The Baroness, who became a crossbencher last March, has not only been working with the Government on the digital drive but she has lent a helping hand to her colleagues. “Lord Knight set up a digital champions network in Lords to help peers with tech questions, and yes, I have had some — luckily, most I can answer... so far!”
It is the latest in a life spent coming to the rescue: Lane Fox set up lastminute.com and became a benefactor for the Women’s Prize for Fiction when Orange pulled its sponsorship.
