莲花直播

A peer in the house of lords has faced an investigation following a letter she sent to the commissioner of the Met Police regarding several speeding fines in a 20mph zone in London.

Baroness D鈥橲ouza stated that she wanted to have an 鈥渙pen conversation鈥� about the 20mph speed limit, however Commissioner for Standards Martin Jelley concluded that her actions were a breach of the 鈥減ersonal honour鈥� provision of the Lord鈥檚 code of conduct.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on 莲花直播. And you can sell your car, too. We鈥檙e here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

What did Baroness D鈥橲ouza do?

Baroness D-Souza wrote to the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Mark Rowley in February 2025 regarding several speeding offences.

In her letter, she stated that she had accrued a total of 拢400 in fines, and that she could end up with 12 points on her driving licence. If this happens, D鈥橲ouza would have her licence suspended, which she highlighted would mean giving up attending Parliament as she lives deep in the countryside.

Finally, she ended her letter by questioning the accuracy of her speedometer, or the speed camera, in recording 21mph instead of 20mph.

Why does this matter?

The House of Lords Conduct Committee launched an investigation because it found that D鈥橲ouza had 鈥渟ought to influence a live police investigation鈥� within her capacity as a member of the house.

The fact the letter was sent on House of Lords headed notepaper also played a part, with Commissioner for Standards Mark Jelley saying this made it of parliamentary nature and 鈥渨ithin my remit to investigate鈥�.

Jelley also found that by mentioning the impact of the investigation on her role as a member of the house, D鈥橲ouza was attempting to leverage her position to influence the Commissioner of the Met Police to act on her potential prosecution.

You can appeal a speeding ticket if you feel one has been issued unfairly by simply ticking 鈥渘ot guilty鈥� on the notice of intended prosecution (NIP). You鈥檒l have to go to court to plead your case, and it can be extremely difficult to prove your innocence.

Baroness D鈥橲ouza鈥檚 response

In her written response to this investigation, D鈥橲ouza claimed that she wrote to Sir Rowley because she 鈥渢hought there was a case to be made on the recent 20 mph speed restrictions in London鈥� and she 鈥渒nows Sir Mark having served with him as a member of the Westminster Abbey Institute Council of Reference.鈥�

She also claims to have used House of Lords headed notepaper because 鈥渢his was the context in which I was previously acquainted with Sir Mark. My purpose being the hope that
Sir Mark would refer my case to the Fixed Penalty Office for review.鈥�

D鈥橲ouza recognises in her letter that this could invoke a question of honour, and that she does not have an excuse for this. However she does also go on to state that her intention was not to get Sir Rowley to overlook the speeding offence.

What happens now?

The Standard鈥檚 Committee investigation found that Baroness D鈥橲ouza鈥檚 actions were against the Lord鈥檚 code of conduct. Jelley states in his report that the letter was written within her parliamentary activities, and that she was therefore bound by personal honour.

D鈥橲ouza acknowledges that the letter was 鈥渧ery unwise, to say the least鈥�, but cases like this can have an impact on the House of Lords by reducing public trust.

An eight week suspension for Baroness D鈥橲ouza has been recommended.

Car change? 莲花直播!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With 莲花直播 you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price 鈥� as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you鈥檙e looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, 莲花直播 is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.