Former Olympic swimmer and women’s campaigner Sharron Davies joins red benches

Former Olympic swimmer and women’s rights campaigner Sharron Davies has taken her seat in the House of Lords.

The silver medallist, who has been a prominent critic of transgender athletes being able to compete in women’s sport, was nominated for a life peerage by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

Baroness Davies of Devonport takes her title from an area of Plymouth where she was born and grew up.

The Conservative peer wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the Lords, where she swore allegiance to the King.

She was supported by Paralympic champion and independent crossbencher Baroness Grey-Thompson and Tory peer Lord Young of Acton, the director of the Free Speech Union.

Lady Davies’ international swimming career spanned three decades.

Having first swum for Britain at the age of 11 she was selected for the 1976 Montreal Olympics at 13.

The twice Commonwealth champion retired in 1994 after breaking more than 200 British records in the pool.

She went on to enjoy a TV career and is director of the Women’s Sports Union, which champions fair and safe sport for women and girls.

Lady Davies is patron of Disabled Sport England and SportsAid.

Also taking her place in the upper chamber was former MEP for the West Midlands Neena Gill.

Dressed in the scarlet robes, Baroness Gill was supported by fellow Labour peers Baroness Smith of Basildon and Lord Kennedy of Southwark as she swore the oath of allegiance to the monarch.