Caroline Anne Cox, Baroness Cox, (born Caroline Anne McNeill Love; born 6 July 1937) is a cross-bench member of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. She is also the founder of an organisation called Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART). Cox was created a Life Peer in 1982 and was a deputy speaker of the

from 1985 to 2005, as well as being a minister in government. She was also a Baroness-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. She was Founder Chancellor of

Bournemouth University Bournemouth University is a public university in Bournemouth, England, with its main campus situated in neighbouring Poole. The university was founded in 1992; however, the origins of its predecessor date back to the early 1900s. The universi ...

, Chancellor of

Liverpool Hope University Liverpool Hope University (abbreviated LHU) is a public university with campuses in Liverpool, England. ‌The university grew out of three Normal school#United Kingdom, teacher training colleges: Saint Katharine's College (originally Warring ...

from 2006 to 2013, and is an Hon. Vice President of the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union and professional body in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916 as the College of Nursing, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Eliz ...

. She was a founder Trustee of MERLIN Medical Emergency Relief International. She is a recipient of the Commander Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland () is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident abroad. As such, it is sometimes referred to as ...

. She is a prominent lay Anglican, closely identified with the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. According to a biography by Andrew Boyd, she is a practising third-order Anglican Franciscan.

Background

Cox was born on 6 July 1937 in London. She is the daughter of Robert McNeill Love, a surgeon and co-author of the textbook known as "Bailey and Love". She was educated at Channing School in

Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...

. She became a state registered nurse at

London Hospital The Royal London Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of Barts Health NHS Trust. It provides district general hospital services for the City of London and London Borough of Tow ...

from 1958, and a staff nurse at Edgware General Hospital from 1960. She married Dr Murray Newall Cox in 1959, remaining married to him until he died in 1997. The couple had two sons and one daughter. In the late 1960s she studied for a degree at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

where she graduated with a first class honours degree in

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

in 1967 and a master's degree.

Academic and thinktank career and subsequent activities

On graduating, Cox became a sociology

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

at the

Polytechnic of North London The University of North London (UNL) was a university in London, England, formed from the Polytechnic of North London (PNL) in 1992 when that institution was granted university status. PNL, in turn, had been formed by the amalgamation of the No ...

rising to become Principal Lecturer. From 1974 she was head of the Department of Sociology. An ''Evangelicals Now'' article sympathetically describes her approach to her discipline: "As a committed Christian she presented a Christian view of Sociology."Champion - Getting to know Baroness Cox
''Evangelicals Now'', July 2008. According to ''Evangelicals Now'': "It was a time of student unrest and the students organised demonstrations to disrupt lectures or meetings which they considered anti-Marxist. Cox bore the brunt of this and in 1974 the students passed a vote of no confidence in her." Her background in sociology led her to write books on the subject for nurses. In 1975, Cox co-wrote (with John Marks and Keith Jacka) ''The Rape of Reason: The Corruption of the Polytechnic of North London'', published by Churchill Press, attacking "

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

activity" at her workplace. Martyn Hammersleybr>An Ideological Dispute: Accusations of Marxist Bias in the Sociology of Education During the 1970s
''Contemporary British History'', Volume 30, 2016 - Issue 2, Pages 242-259 , Published online: 21 December 2015 https://doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2015.1112275 She resigned from the Polytechnic in 1977 and was a tutor at the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

. She was involved in the thinktank Institute for the Study of Conflict and contributed to its report, the Gould report, on left-wing activism in British universities, in which she focused on "Marxist bias" in the Open University. In 1977 she moved to become Director of the Nursing Education Research Unit at Chelsea College of the University of London and remained in this post until 1984. She was made a Fellow of the

in 1985. She was also made an Honorary Fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...

. She was later founding

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

. In 2006 she received an honorary law degree from the

University of Dundee The University of Dundee is a public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a university college in 1881 with a donation from the prominent Baxter family of textile manufacturers. The institution was, for most of its ...

and was installed as the Chancellor of

in the same year.

The Right To Learn

After experiencing politically motivated educational disruption whilst working as Principal Lecturer, Sociolology at the Polytechnic of North London, she co-wrote ''The Pied Pipers of Education'' (1981) for the Social Affairs Unit and worked with the

Centre for Policy Studies The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is a centre-right think tanks, think tank and advocacy group in the United Kingdom. Its goal is to promote coherent and practical policies based on its founding principles of: free markets, "small state," lo ...

, for which she wrote the influential pamphlet ''The Right to Learn'' (1982).Daniel Callaghan, ''Conservative Party Education Policies, 1976-1997: The Influence of Politics and Personality'', Sussex Academic Press, 2006 She co-founded and co-directed the Educational Research Trust, founded in 1980, with John Marks; they were consulted about the drafting of the 1988 Education Reform Act, which introduced the

National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or othe ...

, grant-maintained schools and

City Technology Colleges In England, a City Technology College (CTC) is an urban all-ability specialist schoolWalter (2007), p. 6 for students aged 11 to 18 specialising in science, technology and mathematics. They charge no fees and are independent of local authority ...

.John Marks obituary
Daily Telegraph 2 March 2012 She was involved in the Institute for European Defence and Security Studies, an organization funded by

The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...

in the early 1980s for which she co-authored ''Peace Studies: A Critical Survey'' in 1984 with

Roger Scruton Sir Roger Vernon Scruton, (; 27 February 194412 January 2020) was an English philosopher, writer, and social critic who specialised in aesthetics and political philosophy, particularly in the furtherance of Conservatism in the United Kingdom, c ...

, which published by the conservative think tank

Civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...

.Tim Mills et al,
The Cold War on British Muslims: An examination of Policy Exchange and the Centre for Social Cohesion
'', September 2011 She was a director of the Conservative Philosophy Group from 1983 to 1985.Hughes, Mike 'Western Goals (UK)' '' Lobster Magazine'' 21, (May 1991) With Scruton and others she wrote ''Education and Indoctrination''. In the mid-1980s, she worked with Scruton as part of the Hillgate Group of Conservative activists; their pamphlet ''Whose Schools? A Radical Manifesto'', which she co-authored, was published in 1986.Clyde Chitty ''Towards a New Education System: The Victory of the New Right?'' Psychology Press, 1989 In 1987 she co-founded the Committee for a Free Britain, funded by

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian - American retired business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of List of assets owned by News Corp, local, national, a ...

, which at one point called for "the legalisation of all drugs". She was the executive director of the Institute for the Study of Terrorism in 1985–1990. Since its founding in 2007, she has been closely involved, first as an advisor and from 2009 as director, in the Centre for Social Cohesion. She is a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of the Gatestone Institute.

Member of House of Lords

Her peerage was announced on 15 December 1982 on a list of "working peers", on the recommendation of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

, and she was granted the title of Baroness Cox, of Queensbury in

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

, on 24 January 1983. Cox initially sat as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

and served briefly as a Baroness-in-Waiting to

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. She served as a Deputy Speaker of the

from 1986 to 2006.

Foreign affairs

Shortly after receiving her peerage in 1983, Baroness Cox became involved in advocating for humanitarian efforts in then

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, lobbying Prime Minister

for government support, and personally delivering medical supplies by truck convoy. This approach of personally visiting areas of humanitarian need would become a hallmark of her international advocacy work because she could then speak to The House with greater authority having 'been an eyewitness', and having 'been with the people and seen the reality'. For her work in Poland she was awarded the Commander Cross of the

. Cox then became a frequent contributor to Lords debates on Africa, and also raised other "forgotten conflicts" in letters to the press. She was already highlighting fighting in

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

in September 1992, criticising Sudan's Islamist government and backing Dr.

John Garang John Garang De Mabior (June 23, 1945 – July 30, 2005) was a Sudanese politician and revolutionary leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M, Now known as South Sudan People's Defense Forces) as a co ...

Sudan People's Liberation Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the military force of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a key parti ...

. After spending two years investigating the situation in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, Cox criticised the government's treatment of Armenians in the breakaway region of

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

in 1993. She has stated that her stance is the "advocacy for Karabakh Armenians". In 2015, she was a member of the Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group. She is a strong supporter of self-determination for the Armenians of

. By 2003 she had made more than 60 trips to the region. Frank Pallone, Jr., the co-chairman of the US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, praised her devotion to Armenia and Karabakh. On 15 February 2006 she was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal by the President of Armenia

Robert Kocharyan Robert Sedraki Kocharyan ( ; born 31 August 1954) is an Armenian politician. He served as the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994. He served as the second Presiden ...

. Cox is one of eleven officers of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea. The Group stated that the Obama administration brought with it an opportunity for a formal cessation of hostilities and normalisation of relations with

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

Religious Freedom and Women's Rights

Since the 1980s, Baroness Cox has advocated for religious freedom for all religions internationally, especially in regions of religious persecution. She has petitioned many questions to the House of Lords advocating religious freedoms, stating to The House that, 'Diverse faith communities suffer persecution in many countries, including the Baha’is in Iran and Egypt, Ahmadyyia Muslims in Pakistan, the Falun Gong and Uighur Muslims in China, Rohingya Muslims in Burma and multi-faith communities of Muslim, Christian and African traditional believers in the states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan in Sudan. All deserve the support of the international community for protection of their fundamental human right to practise their faith freely.'. She has also campaigned to ensure that religious fundamentalism does not infringe on the 'rights enshrined in UK law'."Bill limiting sharia law is motivated by 'concern for Muslim women'"
''The Guardian''. London. 8 June 2011. In the aftermath of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

and growing militant Islamic movements, she wrote in 2003 ''The 'West', Islam and Islamism: Is ideological Islam compatible with liberal democracy?'' with John Marks, published by Civitas, which argued "that Islamist terrorism was only part of a broader ideological challenge of fundamentalist Islam, comparable to communist propaganda efforts during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

". In order to protect women's rights in the context of religious tribunals, Cox introduced the Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill to the House of Lords, initially on 10 May 2012.parliament.uk: "Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill [HL] 2012-13"
It was 'motivated by concern for Muslim women, with the observation that "Equality under the law is a core value of British justice. My bill seeks to preserve that standard. Many women say: 'We came to this country to escape these practices only to find the situation is worse here.". It had its second reading and debate on 19 October 2012, but went no further. The bill aimed to prevent discrimination against Muslim women and 'jurisdiction creep' in Islamic tribunals, which would be forced to acknowledge the primacy of English law under her Bill and would have introduced an offence carrying a five-year jail sentence for anyone falsely claiming or implying that sharia">sharia courts or councils have legal jurisdiction over family or criminal law. The bill included clauses to protect women's rights by banning the sharia practice of giving women's testimony only half the weight of men's. In a similar way to Jewish Beth Din courts, sharia tribunals can make verdicts in cases involving financial and property issues which, under the Arbitration Act 1996, are enforceable by the County Court (England and Wales), County Court or the High Court of Justice, High Court and Baroness Cox stated that "We cannot sit here complacently in our red and green benches while women are suffering a system which is utterly incompatible with the legal principles upon which this country is founded. If we don't do something, we are condoning it.""Baroness Cox: 'If we ignore wrongs, we condone them'"
''The Independent''. London. 20 June 2011."Bill limiting sharia law is motivated by 'concern for Muslim women'"
''The Guardian''. London. 8 June 2011. The Bill was described by critics as "inflammatory". It did not reach a vote as it ran out of time. Cox continues fighting to stop sharia 'seeping' into enforcing divorce settlements.
''The Daily Telegraph.'' London. 22 April 2014 Cox re-introduced her legislation on 11 June 2014. One leading Muslim Conservative Party activist said "the Bill will not help to achieve any of its intended goal but will alienate many Muslims". Cox, speaking at a 2014 event organised by the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security at

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

and The Israeli Institute for Strategic Studies, mentioned the alleged ‘ Trojan Horse plot’ in her speech as an example of secret takeover strategies by ‘Islamists’ in Africa made in order to ‘Islamize’ the continent. She said "“Islam is using the freedoms of democracy to destroy it.” In 2014, she hosted the parliamentary launch of Sharia Watch UK, an organisation led by UKIP candidate Anne Marie Waters aiming to 'document the implementation of Sharia law in Britain'. Cox said Sharia law "undermines the most fundamental principles of equality enshrined in British law" in respect of its treatment of women. In February 2023 it was reported in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' that Cox and Lord Pearson were members of a secret group called the New Issues Group, which had been operating out of the House of Lords for over a decade and had worked with far-right anti-Muslim activists. Cox has been described as part of the

counter-jihad Counter-jihad (also known as the counter-jihad movement) is a self-titled Islamophobia, anti-Muslim political movement loosely consisting of authors, bloggers, think tanks, demonstrators, and other activists across the Western world. Proponents are ...

movement. She has also campaigned for greater protection of young women at risk of

Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM) (also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision) is the cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva for non-medical reasons. Prevalence of female ge ...

, raising to the house in 2013 that, 'There is a child somewhere today in this country, in school, in a hospital A and E Department or on a bus, who has had FGM or is at risk of this torture, who is counting on us to help her with her physical or emotional trauma—or crying out to stop it happening. That child’s protection is our responsibility.'

Education

Whilst stating to The House that she 'welcomes teaching that increases tolerance and understanding, and which reduces the likelihood of victimisation of homosexual groups or individuals', she supported

Section 28 Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with t ...

, which limited the "promotion" of homosexuality in British schools. During the debates over the Education Reform bill, Cox worked together with Michael Alison to ensure that a commitment was made that state education was 'broadly Christian' in character. The bill later passed as the

Education Reform Act 1988 The Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40) is legislation that introduced multiple changes to the education system in England and Wales, including the introduction of Key Stages and the National Curriculum. It replaced many rules and structures that h ...

. She backed the reforms to reduce powers of

Local Education Authorities Local education authorities (LEAs) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902, which transferred education powers from school bo ...

in 1993. Baroness Cox has petitioned the government to be more comprehensive in its education of young women at risk of

, stating that the education system is a 'weak link' in protecting young women and that 'education about FGM should also be a compulsory element of personal, social, health and economic education, starting with primary-age children, to enable them to seek help, protection and prevention'.

Relationship with Europe and Migration

Cox considers herself to be a 'tentative

Eurosceptic Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies and seek refor ...

', considering that, 'Sharply diverging demographics within the EU will make EU-wide one size fits all policies inappropriate in many spheres'. She rebelled over the

Maastricht Treaty The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Communities, ...

, in favour of letting the country decide by supporting an amendment to require a nationwide referendum on ratification on 14 July 1993. In May 2004 she joined three other Conservative peers in signing a letter published by the

UK Independence Party The UK Independence Party (UKIP, ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of parliament (both through defect ...

urging voters to support it in the elections to the European Parliament. The Leader of the Conservative Party,

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposi ...

, immediately withdrew the party whip, formally expelling them from the parliamentary party. Cox now sits in the House of Lords as a

crossbencher A crossbencher is a minor party or independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. They take their name fr ...

. She sits on the Advisory Council of Migration Watch, David Pallisterbr>The numbers game
''The Guardian'', 21 March 2007 Jay Raynerbr>Master of the numbers game
''The Observer'' Sun 7 January 2007Oscar Reye
Eyes to the Right
The Transnational Institute, 1 February 2007 and has also advocated for the rights of domestic immigrant workers in the UK to ensure they receive legal protection regarding working conditions.

Hosting Controversial Figures

In 2002, she controversially endorsed and hosted the launch of the book ''Great Britain has Fallen'' by Wale Babatunde, a minister at the World Harvest Christian Centre in London, which said "that multi-culturalism is ruining Britain by importing 'foreign practices', homosexuality is 'destructive' and that abortion can be directly equated with the Holocaust" and described lesbianism as "against nature". In response, Labour's Tom Watson called for her expulsion from the Conservative Party. In February 2009, Cox and

UKIP The UK Independence Party (UKIP, ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), member ...

peer Lord Pearson invited Dutch Freedom Party leader

Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing p ...

to show the anti-Islam film '' Fitna'' before the

. However, Wilders was prevented from entering the UK on the instructions of Labour Home Secretary

Jacqui Smith Jacqueline Jill Smith, Baroness Smith of Malvern (born 3 November 1962), is a British politician, broadcaster and life peer who has been serving as Minister of State for Skills since 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Pa ...

"Far-right Dutch MP refused entry to UK"
12 February 2009 In response, Cox and Pearson accused the Government of appeasing militant Islam. In 2010, Cox and Pearson successfully hosted Wilders and his film screening in the UK, with 200 members of the

English Defence League The English Defence League (EDL) was a Far-right politics, far-right, Islamophobia, Islamophobic organisation active in England from 2009 until the mid-late 2010s. A social movement and Advocacy group, pressure group that employed street demo ...

marching in support of the screening, as well as anti-fascist protests and 50 arrests.Dutch MP Geert Wilders' anti-Islam film sparks protests
BBC, 5 March 2010 Lady Cox said the visit had been a victory for free speech, saying: ''"You don't have to agree but it is important to debate sensibly in a responsible and very democratic way."'' At the event, Wilders called for an end to immigration to Europe from Muslim countries, but that Muslims already in Europe who agree to obey the law would be welcome to remain. A Home Office spokesperson said the government "regrets the decision by Baroness Cox and Lord Pearson".

NGO work and Christian activities

Since 2009, Baroness Cox has participated in a conservative umbrella body within the

, the Federation of Confessing Anglicans, led by her close associate, then Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali.

The Tushinskaya Children's Hospital Trust

Baroness Cox is president of the Tushinskaya Children's Hospital Trust and worked closely with its late patron,

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

. Baroness Cox and the Princess of Wales opened the hospital's school of paediatric nursing in 1995. The Trust enabled parents to spend more time with their children whilst they were in hospital.

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust

The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), founded by Baroness Cox in 2003, works to provide lasting change through aid and advocacy for those suffering oppression and persecution, who are largely neglected by the international media . An Australian branch of HART was established in 2009.

Christian Solidarity International and Worldwide

Cox was active in Christian Solidarity International (CSI) before leading the breakaway Christian Solidarity Worldwide in 1997. She was president of the latter until 2006, when she was replaced by

Jonathan Aitken Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born 30 August 1942) is a British author, Church of England priest and former Conservative Party politician. Beginning his career in journalism, he was elected to Parliament in 1974 (serving until 1997), and wa ...

, thereafter remaining as its patron. During the 1992–93 Armenia-Azerbaijan war, CSI broke

’s blockade of the contested

territory numerous times to deliver humanitarian aid and document acts of violence against the Christian Armenian inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh. CSI also partnered with the

Andrei Sakharov Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (; 21 May 192114 December 1989) was a Soviet Physics, physicist and a List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, which he was awarded in 1975 for emphasizing human rights around the world. Alt ...

foundation to send aid to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. Witnessing the war on the ground, CSI published a detailed account of the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...

titled ''Ethnic Cleansing in Progress: War in Nagorno Karabakh'' co-authored by Cox with John Eibner. Cox visited the

Lachin corridor __NOTOC__ The Lachin corridor was a mountain road in Azerbaijan that linked Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Being the only road between these two territories, it was considered a humanitarian corridor or "lifeline" to the Armenian population of ...

in 2023 and called the blockade of the corridor by Azerbaijan a modern day tragedy. CSI’s involvement with

began in 1992, when two of CSI’s leaders, Cox and Eibner, traveled to southern Sudan at the invitation of local churches to observe the effects of civil war on the Christian populations there. CSI became especially involved in "redeeming" (buying and freeing) slaves in 1995. Between 1997 and 2000, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) directly intervened to buy the freedom of alleged slaves, and in a letter to ''The Independent on Sunday'' Cox claimed and redeemed 2,281 slaves on eight visits to Sudan."This is no scam. The slaves are real", ''Independent on Sunday'', 3 March 2002, p. 27 Both the veracity of this claim and the rationale of slave redemption have been questioned by others in humanitarian community. Cox repeated the figure in 2011, adding that she had spent £100,000 buying and freeing slaves, tactic most anti-slavery charities condemned, arguing that such purchases only perpetuate and encourage the trade.Baroness Cox: 'If we ignore wrongs, we condone them'
19 June 2011 In 1995 she won the Wilberforce Award.Christine Barker, "The unsung hero's song", ''Birmingham Post'', 27 June 1998, p. 37 She is also a patron of the

Christian Institute The Christian Institute (CI) is a charity operating in the United Kingdom, promoting a conservative evangelical Christian viewpoint, founded on a belief in Biblical inerrancy. The CI is a registered charity. The group does not report numbers of ...

Global Panel Foundation and Prague Society

Cox is a member of the Board of Advisors of th
Global Panel Foundation
an NGO that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world. Baroness Cox is also a member of Prague Society for International Cooperation, another NGO whose main goals are networking and the development of a new generation of responsible, well-informed leaders and thinkers.

Disability activism

Cox supports disability causes as a member of the World Committee on Disability. In 2004 she was a judge for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award, distributed annually at the United Nations in New York to a nation that has met the goals of the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons.

Syria controversy

Cox has been a supporter of

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

's President

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

. She visited him during the Syrian Civil War, during the siege of Aleppo, along with Michael Nazir-Ali, fellow crossbench peer Lord Hylton, and Andrew Ashdown, an Anglican vicar. She was widely condemned. Labour MP John Woodcock, vice-president of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Syria, said: "It is shocking to see a British parliamentarian giving international pariah al-Assad a photo opportunity to distract from the brutal and ongoing slaughter he is perpetrating on Syrian families. Whatever good intentions this British delegation has will fail; their presence at this man's side can only strengthen him as his campaign of terror continues." Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Hussein-Ece said it was "shameful" for members of the House of Lords to "sit down for a chat with a mass murderer and a war criminal". Russian state media claimed Cox said that Assad had an “openness for the development of civil society, democracy and change”.Former British archbishop meets top Assad adviser in Damascus
Middle East Eye, 28 November 2017 After her visit, in early 2017, she went to the US to lobby for president Assad's government.A British Baroness Wants To Rekindle Donald Trump's Affection For Bashar Assad
Huffington Post, May 2017 While there, she expressed doubt that Syrian government forces were responsible for Khan Shaykhun chemical attack. In late 2017, she returned to Syria again, along with former

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

George Carey George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton (born 13 November 1935) is a retired Anglican bishop who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, having previously been the Bishop of Bath and Wells. During his time as archbishop the C ...

. She reportedly met with an Assad advisor named on American and European Union sanctions lists as complicit in Syrian government war crimes. Again, the visit was widely condemned by politicians and human rights groups in the UK, and described by analysts as a “propaganda coup” for the Assad government. In a subsequent parliamentary debate, she referred to Syrian rebels as "jihadists".

Media appearances

Baroness Cox regularly appears on the BBC ''

Daily Politics ''Daily Politics'' is a BBC Television programme which aired between 6 January 2003 and 24 July 2018, presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn. ''Daily Politics'' took an in-depth review of the daily events in both Westminster and other areas a ...

'' television programme and has presented the "Soap Box" with "A Moral Maze". As of 2017, she also appeared on Russia TV and other channels associated with the Russian government as she felt they were more frank about Islam's threat to Western traditions.

Honours

Cox has been honoured with the Wilberforce Award.

Bibliography

* ''A Sociology of Medical Practice'' (1975) * ''Rape of Reason: The Corruption of the Polytechnic of North London ''(Keith Jacka, with Caroline Cox and John Marks, jt au 1975) * ''The Right to Learn ''(jt au 1982) * ''Sociology: A Guide for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors'' (jt au 1983) * ''Choosing a State School: how to find the best education for your child'' (jt au 1989) * ''Trajectories of Despair; misdiagnosis and maltreatment of Soviet orphans'' (with John Eibner 1991) * ''Ethnic Cleansing in Progress: war in Nagorno Karabakh'' (1993) * ''Islam, Islamism and the West: Is ideological Islam compatible with liberal democracy?'' (2005) * ''Made to Care: the case for residential and village communities for people with a mental handicap'' * ''Baroness Cox: A voice for the voiceless.'' (1999) Boyd, A. Lion Books.

Published Biographies

Lady Cox has been the subject of two published biographies, ''Baroness Cox: A Voice for the Voiceless'' by Andrew Boyd; and ''Baroness Cox: Eyewitness to a Broken World'' by Lela Gilbert.

References

External links

Office in UK ParliamentCaroline Cox Personal Website