"If we only stick to our own echo chambers, wherever they are on the political spectrum, we change nothing and increase polarisation and mistrust.”

Thangam Debbonaire is a Labour member of the House of Lords, having served for nine years as MP for Bristol West and as a senior figure in Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet. She held roles including Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, and previously served as Shadow Brexit Minister and a Labour Whip.

Since entering the Lords, Debbonaire’s work has focused on strategic advisory roles spanning arts and cultural diplomacy, tech and AI and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She likes to take on controversial topics such as corporate donations, cultural reparations, migration, identity, and the future of democracy.

"Thangam has a refreshing, independent outlook." — Elaine Robinson