Lib Dems announce team in the House of Lords

Since the general election, the Liberal Democrat team in the House of Lords has become rather more important. Not only are the Lib Dem peers the dominant part of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Parties, but with a Tory majority in the Commons yet a minority in the Lords, the house with the peers is the one where opposition parties will have the most power when it comes to votes during this Parliament.

The team of Liberal Democrat spokespeople has now been finalised (and note that of the principal spokespeople, 43% are female - rather better than the party has done in the Commons in the past or will do for quite some time to come). The most unlikely title is Principal Spokesperson for the Northern Powerhouse which, alas, is not a weight building club in Doncaster.

Here is the full list from the Lib Dem peers blog:

Business, Innovation and Skills Team

• Lord Stoneham of Droxford - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Garden of Frognal - Spokesperson for Higher and Further Education and Skills
• Lord Clement-Jones (jointly with DCMS Team)
• Lord Palmer of Childs Hill

Civil Service and the Public Sector

• Lord Razzall - Principal Spokesperson for Civil Service and Public Sector Reform

Communities and Local Government Team

• Lord Shipley - Principal Spokesperson for Communities, Decentralisation and the Northern Powerhouse
• Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville - Spokesperson for Housing
• Baroness Janke (jointly with Treasury Team)

Constitutional and Political Reform

• Lord Tyler - Principal Spokesperson for Constitutional and Political Reform

Culture, Media, Sport and Tourism Team

• Baroness Bonham-Carter - Principal Spokesperson for Media and the Creative Industries
• Baroness Doocey - Principal Spokesperson for Sport, Tourism and Cultural Participation
• Lord Clement-Jones (jointly with BIS Team)

Defence

• Baroness Jolly - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Smith of Newnham

Energy and Climate Change Team

• Lord Purvis of Tweed - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Maddock

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Team

• Baroness Parminter - Principal Spokesperson

Education Team

• Lord Storey - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Addington - Spokesperson for Special Educational Needs
• Baroness Pinnock - Spokesperson for Children

Equalities

• Baroness Hussein-Ece - Principal Spokesperson

Foreign Office Team

• Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Falkner of Margravine
• Baroness Ludford - Spokesperson for Europe

Health Team

• Baroness Walmsley - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Tyler of Enfield - Spokesperson for Mental Health

Home Affairs Team

• Lord Paddick - Principal Spokesperson
• Baroness Hamwee - Parliamentary Spokesperson

International Development

• Baroness Northover - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Chidgey
• Zahida Manzoor

Justice Team

• Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Lester of Herne Hill - Human Rights Legislation

Law Officers

• Lord Thomas of Gresford - Shadow Attorney General

Northern Ireland Team

• Lord Alderdice - Principal Spokesperson

Scotland Team

• Lord Stephen - Principal Spokesperson

Transport Team

• Lord Teverson - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Bradshaw - Parliamentary Spokesperson and Industry Contact

Treasury Team

• Baroness Kramer - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Sharkey - Spokesperson for Personal Finances
• Baroness Janke (jointly with DCLG Team)

Voluntary Sector

• Baroness Barker - Principal Spokesperson for the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise

Wales Team

• Baroness Randerson - Principal Spokesperson

Work and Pensions Team

• Lord German - Principal Spokesperson
• Lord Kirkwood - Spokesperson for Welfare
• Baroness Thomas of Winchester - Spokesperson for Disability