THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Sikhs for Labour warmly welcomes the announcement that Neena Gill CBE has been bestowed with a life peerage. Baroness Gill CBE was formally introduced into the House of Lords today (Tuesday 20 January 2026). Neena will now be known as, The Baroness Gill CBE, of Jewellery Quarter in the City of Birmingham and of Southall in the London Borough of Ealing.
As Chair of Sikhs for Labour since its formation, The Baroness Gill CBE has played a central role in strengthening engagement between the Labour Party and the Sikh and Punjabi communities across the United Kingdom.
Her elevation to the House of Lords marks a historic moment as she was the first Sikh Panjabi woman to be elected to any Parliament in Europe. She is now the first female Labour Sikh Peer in the history of the Party.
Reflecting on the significance of her title, The Baroness Gill CBE said: “My first home was in Southall. My first school and my first job were all in the London Borough of Ealing. I owe a great deal to the diverse communities that make up this beautiful and thriving borough. I wanted to honour that by taking Southall in my title.”
The Baroness Gill CBE’s connection to the borough spans her lifetime. She attended Alec Reed Academy in Northolt, held her first Saturday job at Northolt Library, and began her professional career working in Housing Action Areas at the London Borough of Ealing. She later bought her first home in Hanwell and continues to reside in the borough today.
Gurinder Singh Josan CBE MP, Vice Chair of Sikhs for Labour, said: “It is important to see a Sikh woman who so clearly embodies the success story of migrant communities in Southall, communities that have long contributed to the area’s social fabric and thriving economy, receive recognition at the highest levels of British society. Neena’s appointment is richly deserved and deeply inspiring.”
Sikhs for Labour congratulates The Baroness Gill CBE on this historic achievement and looks forward to supporting her continued contribution to public life from the House of Lords.
