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Labour’s new push for support from British Indian voters

Nearly two-thirds of British Indians supported Labour for years

From organising trips to India to hiring community volunteers, the UK’s main opposition Labour Party has announced a series of measures to win back the support of the British Indian community, which has been on the wane in recent years.

Nearly two-thirds of British Indians, who form the second-largest immigrant group in the UK, and the largest minority-ethnic group, supported Labour for years, The Guardian reported.

But the numbers fell sharply with a UK-based think-tank showing that in 2019 only 30 per cent voted for the Keir Starmer-led party, in stark contrast to 61 per cent in 2010.

“We’ve taken Indian voters for granted for years, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious they are going elsewhere and we need to do something about that,” a party official told the paper.

To re-engage with the community, the party has rolled out new initiatives, which include hiring community outreach volunteers, revamping the Labour Friends of India group, and organising a trip to India for two of its senior shadow ministers.

“As a canvassing umbrella initiative focused on event organisation and social media dissemination, we’re looking to serve the widest group of stakeholders to ensure a Labour victory,” Krish Raval, the group’s chair, told The Guardian.

Labour Friends of India celebrates Diwali

The group has hired two volunteers to brief Labour parliamentary candidates on issues of importance to India, and on Sunday, shadow ministers David Lammy and Jonathan Reynolds will travel to Delhi and Mumbai on a five-day trip.

In November last year, Sir Keir Starmer joined top members of the British Indian community, including Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, to celebrate Diwali where he expressed his gratitude to the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities in the UK.

In June 2023, he emphasised the importance of “modern India” and said that “a strategic partnership with India will be key” to a future Labour government.

Citing experts, The Guardian said that a shift in the British Indian stance has come about partly for socioeconomic reasons and partly for religious ones.

As they have become richer in recent years, survey data shows their attitudes have become more conservative.

In addition, the party had an uncomfortable relationship with India after the party, under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, unanimously passed a motion on Kashmir at the 2019 Labour conference.

In 2019, BJP activists actively campaigned for the Conservatives in more than 40 seats across the UK, and now with Rishi Sunak as Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister, the sailing is likely to be rough for the opposition.

ALSO READ: ‘Labour Is Now The Party Of Business’

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Indian-origin barrister appointed to Australian Senate

Varun Ghosh will take his position in the Australian Senate next week with the Labour Party

 Indian-origin barrister Varun Ghosh will take his position in the Australian Senate next week with the Labour Party officially confirming him as their pick to represent Western Australia (WA).

A joint sitting of WA Parliament on Thursday selected the 38-year-old Ghosh, a barrister at Francis Burt Chambers, to replace present senator Patrick Dodson.

“The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council have chosen Senator Varun Ghosh to represent Western Australia in the Senate of the Federal Parliament,” the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia announced on X.

Ghosh joined the Labor party in Perth at the age of 17 after his parents moved from India in the 1980s and began working as neurologists, news website WAToday reported.

He said his preselection was an honour he won’t take for granted. “I have had the privilege of a good education and believe strongly that high-quality education and training should be available to everyone,” he said in a statement.

“Varun has spent the last few years working as a barrister with both WA business & on the international stage with the World Bank. I look forward to working with him as part of our

@walabor Senate team in CBR (Canberra),” Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Matt Keogh, wrote on X platform.

At the 2019 federal election, Ghosh was placed in fifth position on the Australian Labour Party’s Senate ticket in Western Australia but was not elected.

He received degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Western Australia and was a Commonwealth Scholar in Law at the University of Cambridge.

He previously worked as a finance attorney in New York and as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC.

Ghosh returned to Australia in 2015 as a senior associate with King & Wood Mallesons, representing banks, resource companies, and construction companies in dispute resolution.

ALSO READ: Labour’s new push for support from British Indian voters

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Christopher Luxon Sworn In as New Zealand’s 42nd Prime Minister

Labor Party leader Chris Hipkins officially resigned as prime minister to the governor-general on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Christopher Luxon officially became New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, as his cabinet was officially sworn in on Monday.

Luxon, New Zealand’s 42nd prime minister, confirmed to Governor-General Cindy Kiro he had the confidence to form a government in an elaborate ceremony with Maori karakia and the national anthem, reports Xinhua news agency.

A total of 20 cabinet ministers, eight ministers outside the cabinet, and two parliamentary under-secretaries were also formally appointed.

“We now have a responsibility to deliver for New Zealanders, to give them clear, demonstrable and measurable improvements in the quality of their lives,” Luxon told the ministers.

Labor Party leader Chris Hipkins officially resigned as prime minister to the governor-general on Monday.

The National Party, ACT New Zealand party and New Zealand First party announced the lineup for the new coalition government on November 24 in parliament after weeks of negotiations.

New Zealand First’s leader Winston Peters will be deputy prime minister for the first half of the three-year parliamentary term, and ACT’s leader David Seymour will be deputy prime minister for the second half of the term.

Peters will be the foreign minister and Seymour will be the minister for regulation assessing the quality of new and existing regulations.

The 20-strong cabinet will have 14 National ministers, three ACT ministers and three NZ First ministers.

National’s Nicola Willis will be the finance minister.

The new prime minister said the government will ease the cost of living and deliver tax relief, restore law and order, and deliver better public services.

The National Party won the general election on October 14, with the Labor Party to step down after six years in office.

However, with no party winning a majority of seats, the formation of a new government depended on the outcome of interparty negotiations to form a coalition government.

New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional voting system to elect its parliament.

Under this system, the government is usually formed by two or more parliamentary political parties.

ALSO READ-New Coalition Government Unveiled in New Zealand

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Labour Party can promote two-state solution, says pro-Israel group

Labour leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves speak with locals on the high street in Great Yarmouth as Labour pledges to revitalise local high streets and reverse 13 years of decline, with policies to cut business rates, cut energy bills, stamp out late payments, revamp empty shops and tackle anti-social behaviour. Picture date: Wednesday April 12, 2023.

Michael Rubin, director of Labour Friends of Israel, said the Netanyahu government’s actions “imperil both democratic norms and the rule of law.”…reports Asian Lite News

A Labour government can promote a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and end the building of illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories, a pamphlet from the party’s largest pro-Israel group has said.

Labour Friends of Israel described the UK’s main opposition party as “freed of the stain of antisemitism” and capable of confronting democratic backsliding in both Israel and within the Palestinian Authority, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

The pamphlet aims to end years of debate in the party over the conflict and promote a unified response in preparation for a potential Labour government.

“Free of the stain of antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” the party can confront Israeli Prime Minister “Benjamin Netanyahu’s self-serving efforts to emasculate the independence of the judiciary,” the pamphlet says.

It describes his “repellent actions and rhetoric of his far-right allies” as going beyond “routine policy disagreements.”

Michael Rubin, director of Labour Friends of Israel, said the Netanyahu government’s actions “imperil both democratic norms and the rule of law.”

Labour, if it wins the next general election, must immediately restore the position of Middle East minister, a post that was abolished by the ruling Conservative Party, which has shown a “stunning disinterest” in the region, the pamphlet says.

A key strategy for Britain’s foreign policy under Labour must be to promote a freeze on settlement-building, it adds, saying the move will “narrow the parameters of the conflict and foster confidence.”

Renewed investment in the PA must also take place, with a potential British-led international fund offering a path to peace through economic incentives and anti-corruption drives. Though the UK would lack the clout to resolve the conflict alone, it could work with Europe and the US, the pamphlet says.

However, Toby Greene, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, said it would be difficult to maintain a unified front within the Labour Party due to “the extremism of the current Israeli government, the diplomatic vacuum, and the propensity for violent escalations.”

Labour this week was also accused of censorship after it requested the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to remove the phrase “end apartheid” from its side event at the party’s annual conference next week. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign urged the party to “confront the reality of Israel’s practice of the crime of apartheid rather than avoid naming it.”

Major NGOs and rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem have all warned that Israel is practicing apartheid. Labour leader Keir Starmer, when asked to justify the move, described the use of the phrase as “detrimental.”

PSC warned that instead of holding Israel to account “for its serial violations,” the Labour leadership is “seeking to avoid engaging with the reality lived by Palestinians for decades.”

Ben Jamal, PSC director, said: “You cannot tackle an injustice unless you are prepared to name it. As B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights monitoring body, said in their report affirming Israel’s practice of apartheid, ‘As painful as it may be to look reality in the eye, it is more painful to live under a boot’.”

ALSO READ-Labour will re-write Brexit deal, says Starmer  

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Labour Party’s Indian Mother- Son duo become councillors in London

Councillors Parveen Rani and her son Tushar Kumar are in the political limelight since they won, reports Rahul Laud

Indian-origin parents are inspired and London’s mother-son duo carved a niche in history when they both won in their debut contest at recent Council elections. Mother Parveen Rani and 20-year-old son Tushar Kumar bagged seats as Labour Party members breaking traditional Conservatives strongholds from Hertsmere Borough Council, in Hertfordshire and Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, (in Hertfordshire) respectively. Tushar made history at the election by helping the Labour group take overall control of the town council for the first time this century. Both Tushar and Parveen were standing in elections for the first time.

 With her win, Parveen Rani Marks new chapter as Kenilworth, Borehamwood Borough Councillor and Cabinet Member. Borehamwood, UK local elections have marked an exciting turn of events for the residents of Kenilworth, Borehamwood. Rani is known for her versatile roles as an entrepreneur, educationist, and social activist, and is all set to bring “a fresh perspective to the Hertsmere borough council,” she said.

Alongside her new role as a councillor, Rani has been appointed as a cabinet member responsible for the portfolio of ‘Street Scene, Parks, Leisure, and Culture.’ She is poised to leverage her diverse skills and experience to enhance the local community’s quality of life in this area.

Rani has previously held the role of governor at several UK schools, guiding them with her educational acumen and keen insight. Further establishing her dedication to education and culture, Rani founded the charity organisation ‘Hindi Shiksha Parishad UK’ where her son Tushar teaches pro bono. This organisation champions the cause of Indian culture by celebrating Indian festivals and offering free Hindi classes to children. Through this initiative, she has played a pivotal role in promoting and preserving the Hindi language in the UK.

Recognising her extraordinary contributions to social activities and her tireless efforts to promote Hindi globally, the Governor and Chief Minister of Haryana, India, have previously honoured Rani. High Commission of India, London has also acknowledged her work, recently bestowing upon her an award for her outstanding role in promoting Hindi across the UK.

Tushar Kumar, Rani’s son has become the youngest Indian-origin councillor in the United Kingdom. As a town councillor, Tushar will be expected to attend regular council meetings, vote on local planning issues and help residents with constituency enquiries.

He moved to London at the age of 10. Passionate about politics and community work from a young age, Tushar is a student of politics at the prestigious King’s College London. He is engaged in an internship at a charitable organisation dedicated to the well-being of senior citizens. Additionally, he volunteers his time to teach Hindi at Hindi Shiksha Parishad UK.

Tushar has been selected for a prestigious summer internship with the Civil Service Fast Stream programme. He actively participates in various extracurricular activities, including fundraising initiatives for the homeless and involvement with charitable organisations. Tushar’s victory in the local elections marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the United Kingdom. It reflects the nation’s changing demographic and highlights the importance of younger voices in politics.

Tushar was also determined to stand in the election to help inspire young people to engage more with politics.

He said: “I have been involved in politics since a young age and I see that young people like me aren’t involved, there’s not a lot of trust, so I wanted to represent the younger generation and show them that things can be different.

“I wanted to bring about some change and show that young people can do so too. I want to deliver on the promises that I have made and change some perceptions.”

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Labour Party commits to junk food advertising ban

Why do our bodies craves junk food?.(photo:IANSLIFE)

Labour will stop short of requiring food manufacturers to change the fat, salt or sugar content of their products, but Ashworth hoped it would encourage a change, as the sugar tax had done with soft drinks…reports Asian Lite News

Labour would ban junk food adverts from primetime TV shows such as the X Factor until after the 9pm watershed as part of a manifesto pledge to halve childhood obesity within five years.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said the party wanted to make the next British generation “the healthiest in the world” with a package of reforms that would also include a £250m-a-year fund to invest in school nurses and counselling services in primary and secondary schools.

“We are going to apply the rules currently applied to children’s TV and apply that to TV more generally, so when you’re sat down with your children, as I do, watching X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent, you’re not going to be seeing adverts for junk food,” Ashworth told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“This isn’t the only measure to help us tackle obesity, but a number of children are watching these shows and there is research that children see the adverts for McDonald’s and hassle their parents to go there. I do take my children to McDonald’s, but it’s all about doing it in moderation.”

Labour will stop short of requiring food manufacturers to change the fat, salt or sugar content of their products, but Ashworth hoped it would encourage a change, as the sugar tax had done with soft drinks.

“I think Ribena, for example, are changing their sugar content [in response to the sugar tax], so there’s no reason why food companies cannot do similar. If they want to advertise their foods on Britain’s Got Talent, they can reduce the salt, the sugar, the fat content,” he said.

“We think this is an important place to start, I don’t want to be overly heavy-handed but we have to do something, this is costing the NHS £6bn and if we can reduce that bill then we can be putting that money to frontline care.”

Ashworth said the party would also consider changes to food labelling to make it clearer about fat content, but there were no plans to propose cigarette packet-style warnings.

Adverts for unhealthy products high in fat, salt or sugar are already banned on children’s television. Labour’s plans would extend the prohibition to cover all programmes before the 9pm watershed.

Campaigners have argued that the existing ban does not cover TV programmes popular with youngsters but not specifically aimed at them. The party said the ban would reduce children’s viewing of junk food adverts by 82%.

The party said it would propose a new child health bill, which would write into law the ambition for the UK’s children to be the healthiest in the world and require all government departments to have a child health strategy.

ALSO READ-Labour party wants to scrap House of Lords

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Labour party wants to scrap House of Lords

Sir Keir Starmer says that the House of Lords is “indefensible” and it must be replaced with an elected upper chamber…reports Asian Lite News

Sir Keir Starmer will promise the “biggest ever transfer of power from Westminster to the British people”, as the Labour leader launches a report recommending handing new economic, taxation and law-making powers to mayors and devolved governments.

The report on the UK’s future, carried out by former prime minister Gordon Brown, also recommends sweeping constitutional reform in an attempt to “clean up politics”.

It includes replacing the House of Lords with a democratic chamber, banning almost all second jobs for MPs, and moving 50,000 civil servants – 10% of the workforce – out of London.

The decentralisation of power and money away from Westminster will be pitched as a continuation of Tony Blair’s reforms and Labour’s answer to the Tories’ levelling up agenda – as Sir Keir looks to pitch himself as a prime minister-in-waiting with a serious plan for Britain.

But the Labour leader will not accept any of the recommendations on Monday when he launches the report, arguing instead that they will now be consulted on, raising obvious questions as to whether policy proposals will match the rhetoric should Labour win the next election.

However, a source close to the Labour leader insisted that Sir Keir wouldn’t have let recommendations reach the final report if he wasn’t minded on implementing them.

He described the report as a “blueprint” to address these issues and “work out where to go in the next two years”.

“We’re serious about implementation,” said a Labour figure. “This is methodical, Keir Starmer working through how you pull the levers.”

Labour’s view is that George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse or Boris Johnson’s levelling up agenda were the right ambition but failed to grasp that it only works if power is devolved away from Westminster, rather than handing out pots of money from London.

As such, one key recommendation of the commission will be to end the system of distributing funds from Whitehall, with money instead being devolved to local areas to make those decisions.

Within the 40 recommendations in the report are plans to give devolved governments, mayors and local authorities new powers over transport and housing, economic development and job creation.

Sir Keir also wants to develop 300 “economic clusters” around the country – from precision medicine in Glasgow to creative media in Bristol and Bath – with the aim of doubling growth in the UK.

The report, commissioned by Sir Keir two years ago, will also recommend transferring 50,000 civil servants – just over 10% of the current workforce – out of Whitehall in order to devolve decision-making and jobs out of London.

Sir Keir also wants to “clean up” politics and bring in reform.

As such, he’s likely to back proposals to end MPs from having second jobs and introduce new rules to “end the undue influence of wealth and foreign money” in politics.

The Labour leader also wants to “get rid of the indefensible House of Lords” with the report recommending a new, democratically elected second chamber to represent the regions and nations of the UK.

However, the Labour leader has suggested he might not be able to do this until Labour wins a second term, raising questions as to whether such a commitment would appear in the next Labour manifesto.

Speaking at the launch of this report in Leeds on Monday, Sir Keir is expected to say that the “centre hasn’t delivered” as he pledges to “rebalance the economy and bring about higher standards in public life”.

The Labour leader will also frame this report as a response to both the Brexit and Scottish independence referendums.

“I argued for remain. But I couldn’t disagree with the basic case that many leave voters made to me. They wanted democratic control over their lives,” Sir Keir will say, arguing these frustrations of “a Westminster system that seems remote” was also a drive for the 2014 independence referendum.

“People know Britain needs change. But they are never going to get it from the Tories.

“I am determined that, with Labour, people will get the change they deserve.”

ALSO READ-G20: Focus on digital tech to support global economy

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Labour Party mounts attack on Sunak

She also attacked Hunt’s statement, which had, it is widely believed, Sunak’s direct imprint on it. “The current Prime Minister and Chancellor”, she stated, “have given up on growth altogether”…reports Asian Lite News

The British opposition Labour Party’s shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on Thursday mounted a withering attack on the Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for allegedly allowing fraud during his tenure as Chancellor.

Reeves tore into Sunak in the House of Commons, while responding to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt’s “autumn statement”, which was nothing but a full budget announcement, following the catastrophic impact of the previous Conservative government’s economic policy pronouncements.

Reeves said: “The latest Prime Minister, spent so much time as Chancellor practicing his signature for his glossy Instagram graphics that he failed to put even the most simple checks on Covid support schemes.”

She went on: “The Prime Minister left the doors to the vaults wide open to organised criminals and drugs gangs. They helped themselves to 6.7 billion pounds of public money. Money that this government is failing to retrieve.”

She also attacked Hunt’s statement, which had, it is widely believed, Sunak’s direct imprint on it. “The current Prime Minister and Chancellor”, she stated, “have given up on growth altogether”.

Meanwhile, the BBC played a video clip from a debate between Sunak and Liz Truss in August during the summer’s leadership contest between the two (which Sunak lost). Here he is heard promising tax cuts, if he became Prime Minister. There was no such relief in Hunt’s statement. The Guardian reported that the “tax burden (is) set to reach (the) highest level since WW2”.

On Wednesday, the British government’s Office for National Statistics calculated that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) “rose by 11.1 per cent in the 12 months to October 2022”. This is the worst inflation in Britain since December 1980.

The UK pound fell from $1.19 to below $1.18 after Hunt’s statement. The FTSE index reflecting the London stock market was also down since Thursday morning.

Earlier, Sunak made a statement on the G20 summit in Indonesia, which he attended. “I met Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, when we reviewed progress on our forthcoming free trade agreement,” he confirmed.

Negotiations on this have been stuck since Home Secretary Suella Braverman appeared to be opposed to a greater flow of Indians into Britain, which the Department of Trade was considering whether or not to concede.

Following Sunak’s update, Labour’s Sikh MP Tan Dhesi asked: “At the G20, the Prime Minister agreed with his Indian counterpart to allow an additional 3,000 Indians into the UK every year, which in the fullness of time will inevitably lead to an increase in immigration. At the same time, the Home Secretary has been busy spouting anti-immigrant and anti-refugees dog-whistle rhetoric, including her incendiary remarks against international students that so incensed people in India. Who exactly is in charge of immigration policy? Is it the Prime Minister or the wannabe Prime Minister?”

Sunak replied: “I am disappointed with the honourable Gentleman’s comments, because I know he does not believe that. He can take comfort from the announcement, which is good for both Indian students and British students who want to go back and forth – that is a good thing.”

He, however, added: “The Home Secretary is rightly focussed – there is nothing ‘dog-whistle’ about it – on clamping down on illegal migration, which the British people rightly expect and demand, and it is something that she and this Government will deliver.”

ALSO READ-Why Asian voters flock to Labour?

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Sunak Overtakes Starmer in Popularity Poll

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Croydon University Hospital where he met staff and patients. South London. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street

In a poll conducted on the UK’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first two days in office, 39 per cent of respondents picked the Indian-origin leader over Keir Starmer, chief of the opposition Labour Party.

The poll, conducted by Redfield and Wilton, asked 1,500 people who they thought would be a better Prime Minister.

Some 39 per cent of respondents picked Sunak, up 6 per cent from the start of September, and 38 per cent said they would prefer Starmer, down 4 per cent, the Daily Express reported.

Another weekly tracker poll by Techne UK showed Labour’s lead over the Conservatives was down from 31 to 24 points.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks after Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)

The poll of 1,624 voters showed support for Labour at 50 per cent, a drop of three points from last week.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, were up four points with their new Prime Minister at the helm from 22 per cent a week ago to 26 per cent on October 27, the Daily Express reported.

Sunak faced Starmer in his first Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on October 26 — a day after being appointed as Britain’s first Asian and first Hindu Prime Minister.

Despite the popularity polls, calls for a general election have escalated with more than 891,000 people signing a petition to Parliament

According to a modelling sample of 12,000 people by YouGov last week, Sunak would suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Starmer if a general election were to take place immediately.

It said Starmer would win 389 constituencies, and Sunak just 127.

The next general election in the UK is scheduled for May 2024, under the Fixed Term Parliament Act 2011, which holds that an poll must be held at least once every five years.

According to experts, the Conservatives are likely to resist early election calls unless absolutely necessary because any new election is expected to flip around the sizable 71-seat majority in the House of Commons, which the party enjoys at the moment.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his first Cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street the morning after assuming office

After being elected as the Conservative leader, Sunak told supporters that the party must “unite or die” after the recent wave of controversy and infighting.

In a speech at Conservative Party headquarters, he said: “We now need stability and unity and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”

ALSO READ: Britons slam Noah’s ‘racist backlash’ claims against Sunak

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Labour party appoints Sahota to House of Lords

He has also served as chair of the West Midlands Labour Party Regional Board and has stood as Labour candidate for police and crime Commissioner…reports Asian Lite News

India-born Kuldip Singh Sahota has become the first turban-wearing Labour peer and the only Sikh on the Labour benches in the House of Lords.

Sahota, 71, who has served as Councillor at Telford and Wrekin council since 2001 for 21 years, was nominated by Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and will thus be addressed as Lord Sahota.

Sahota was on former UK PM Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list for his public service. In the UK, peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister to serve for their life.

“Kuldip becomes the first-ever dastar-wearing Sikh on the Labour benches in the House of Lords and will serve as a role model for Sikhs across the community,” said Neena Gill, Chair of Sikhs for Labour, a group that promotes shared values of the Labour Party and the Sikh community.

He has also served as chair of the West Midlands Labour Party Regional Board and has stood as Labour candidate for police and crime Commissioner.

Sahota was born in Garhdiwala, in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur and moved to the UK in 1966 to join his father. He is married with two grown-up sons and two grandchildren, all of whom live in Telford.

Sahota has also been volunteering in a number of roles across the community in the West Midlands in addition to being a member and activist of the Labour Party for over 25 years.

Members of the House of Lords are sometimes referred to as peers. Most members are Life Peers although 92 sit by virtue of hereditary title.

Lord Singh (Indrajit Singh) of Wimbledon was the first peer to wear a turban. He was made a cross-bench life peer in 2011 and Lord Suri (Ranbir Singh Suri) was the second when he was made a Conservative life peer in 2014.

ALSO READ-Labour Calls For General Election