Tory peer faces suspension over 'Lord Poppadom' remark

A Conservative peer is facing suspension from the House of Lords for calling a British-Asian peer "Lord Poppadom" and touching an MP's braids without permission.

Catherine Meyer was accused of referring to Navnit Dholakia, a Liberal Democrat peer, as "Lord Poppadom" twice while in a taxi during a visit to Rwanda with a parliamentary committee this year. She had previously apologised for mistakenly referring to him as "Lord Popat", another peer of South Asian heritage.

On the same trip, Meyer was accused of complimenting the Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy's hair and asking whether she could touch it. Before Ribeiro-Addy could reply, Meyer lifted one of the MP's braids, according to a conduct report published yesterday.