Lord Ashley of Stoke
The House recently lost another doughty member in the form of Lord Ashley of Stoke. Jack Ashley, when he was an MP, lost his hearing. He learned to lip-read and later regained some partial hearing. In the Lords, he had the facility of a machine that transposed what was being said into words on a digital display. He was a renowned and tireless campaigner in the field of disability rights and continued attending the Lords even when wheelchair-bound.
The House has also just lost Baroness Ritchie. She was well known to many peers because of her extensive service in local government and her charity work. She was probably better known to the wider world because she was Guy Ritchie’s stepmother (and hence for a time Madonna’s stepmother-in-law). She joined the Lords in 2010 and joined our office – she had the desk next to mine. Tragically, within a matter of weeks of joining the Lords, she was diagnosed with cancer. She still sought to attend the House but her appearances became rarer. She was a charming individual and will be much missed.
Sad, tragic even,
that we the people never even heard of these nor of the vast majority of our Ruling Peers, Parliamentarians, and Civil-Service Rulers;
but more tragically that we can’t hear what they are-doing, or did, to meet our real-life survival & thrival needs.
I read this man was a stalwart fighter for the disabled. He will be very missed by all the people who needed him, as well as those who did not.
RIP
One unfortunate aspect of the House of Lords at present is the manner in which most members leave the House, something that could change by allowing retirement.
It’s especially sad to lose someone such as Baroness Ritchie long before her time. Lady Ritchie’s Telegraph obituary is worth a read, and starts with an amusing anecdote:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9229647/Baroness-Ritchie-of-Brompton.html