In recognition of her performance in this position, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1996 Birthday Honours.

[5] In 2010, Stowell sought the Conservative nomination for the safe seat of Bromsgrove[6] but lost to Sajid Javid.

[8][9] On 18 September 2011, Baroness Stowell was appointed a Baroness-in-Waiting to the Queen, following the promotion of the former Lord-in-Waiting Lord Taylor of Holbeach (who became a junior minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

[10] In 2013, Baroness Stowell with the guidance of Christopher Briggs was responsible for steering the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales through the House of Lords.

She was subsequently, on 7 October 2013, promoted to the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

[14] The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport selected Stowell to be the new chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.