THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
10th December 2025
Sikhs for Labour are delighted at today’s announcement that our Chair and former Member of the European Parliament, Neena Gill CBE, has been elevated to the House of Lords.
Neena Gill CBE has had a stellar career spanning politics, the corporate sector and housing. A key milestone in her journey came in 1999 when she became, as we believe, the first woman of British Indian heritage and the first Sikh woman elected to any Parliament outside of India. With today’s appointment, she also becomes the first female Sikh representative on the Labour benches in the House of Lords.
Born in Ludhiana, Punjab, Neena came to the UK at the age of ten and has since lived in both West London and the West Midlands. Her first job was in a library before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Liverpool John Moores University in 1979, where she also served as Vice President of the Students’ Union. In 1984 Neena qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, later completing the Senior Executive Programme at the London Business School in 1996.
After university, Neena briefly trained as an accountant before moving into housing as a Housing Officer at Ealing Council. At just 29, she became Chief Executive of the ASRA Group, making her the youngest CEO of a UK housing association and the first woman of BAME heritage to hold such a role. She later became Chief Executive of Newlon Housing Group before being elected to the European Parliament.
Neena Gill CBE has served as Chair of Sikhs for Labour since its formation in 2013. Sikhs for Labour is a dedicated campaigning organisation acting as a bridge between the Labour Party and the Sikh and Punjabi community. The organisation has worked to champion Sikh issues within the Party and played a central role in supporting the election of eleven Sikh- heritage MPs at the last general election.
As a Member of the European Parliament, Neena championed equality, human rights and democracy, consistently raising concerns about these issues in the European Parliament. She has long been a strong voice on matters relating to India and South Asia, leading multiple high-level parliamentary delegations to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Japan.
Neena Gill CBE said:
“I am deeply humbled and honoured to have been appointed to the House of Lords. I am grateful for the support my family, friends and colleagues have given me throughout my years of public service. This appointment reflects the hard work of all Sikhs for Labour members across the country who consistently support Labour candidates at every level.”
She added:
“I look forward to taking my seat in the House of Lords where I will proudly support a Labour Government committed to delivering meaningful change for our communities. I am particularly keen to continue standing up to the threat of far-right parties, something I worked on extensively during my time as an MEP.”
Gurinder Singh Josan CBE, MP and Vice Chair of Sikhs for Labour, said:
“The elevation of Neena Gill CBE to the House of Lords is very welcome and recognises her many accomplishments, including her role as the first Sikh female parliamentarian in Europe. I am pleased the Prime Minister has taken steps to address the severe lack of Sikh representation on the Labour benches in the Lords. Sikhs for Labour will continue to champion improved diversity and representation at all levels.”
Background:
• Neena Gill is a British Labour politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2009 and 2014 to 2020.
• In the European Parliament, she served as chair of the following delegations (committees): South Asia (SAARC), India, Japan and as vice chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
• She has steered various major pieces of legislations as a rapporteur in the European Parliament from financial regulations to e- content.
• She was awarded a CBE in 2017 by HM the Queen
• She was awarded the Pravasi Bhartiya Sammam by the President of India in 2017.
• In 2018 was made a fellow of Liverpool John Moores University.
• Since 2013 she has served as the Chair of Sikhs for Labour, a national campaigning organisation.
• She has extensive corporate experience as a CEO in Housing / not for profit sector, as a senior executive in a tech multinational and as a non-executive in the charitable arena.
