Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Alok Sharma made peer in House of Lords

The Agra-born former minister now becomes Lord Sharma

Alok Sharma made peer in House of Lords

BRITISH INDIAN former Tory MP Alok Sharma, who had chosen not to seek re-election in this week’s general election, will now take his seat in the House of Lords after being conferred a peerage by King Charles.

The 56-year-old Agra-born former minister now becomes Lord Sharma. He was knighted as Sir Alok in the King’s New Year’s Honours list last year for his contribution to tackling climate change through his leadership as president of the COP26 climate summit two years ago.


Sharma was among seven nominations made by outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak for his customary “Dissolution Peerages,” which also saw former prime minister Theresa May become a peer in the Upper House of the UK Parliament.

“Humbled to have been appointed to the House of Lords but so sorry to see many fine Conservative candidates lose, including in Reading West & Mid Berkshire,” said Sharma in a post on X, as his party’s disastrous general election results became evident.

His former constituency was won by Labour’s Olivia Bailey, who Sharma described as a “decent person who I feel will serve the area diligently.”

Sharma's Reading West constituency, like several others across the UK, had undergone a boundary change to become Reading West & Mid Berkshire.

“This has not been an easy decision for me. It has been the honour of my life to serve as the MP for a constituency in the town where I grew up and a privilege to serve in government and represent the UK on the international stage,” Sharma said, when he announced his decision in September last year to not contest the next general election.

“I will continue to support my Tory colleagues and serve my constituents diligently for the remainder of my time as an MP, as well as champion in Parliament the causes I care deeply about, especially climate action,” he added.

Sharma was selected as a parliamentary candidate in 2006 and has served as a Tory MP since 2010. In his role as Cabinet minister since then, he has been appointed secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy and international development until he was conferred a Cabinet-level role as COP26 president by former prime minister Boris Johnson in January 2021.

Under Rishi Sunak as prime minister, he was on the House of Commons back benches and often spoke out to express his concerns about the government’s delay in certain targets towards meeting the country's climate action Net Zero pledge by 2050.

“Chopping and changing policies creates uncertainty for businesses and the public. Ultimately this makes it more difficult to attract investment and pushes up costs for consumers,” he said.

Sharma was among a series of high-profile Tory colleagues, including former defence secretary Ben Wallace, who had decided not to seek re-election in the 2024 polls.

(PTI)

More For You

LEAD Amit 1 INSET Rishi Sunak GettyImages 1258681655
Rishi Sunak
Getty Images

'I am English': Sunak asserts as ethnic minorities debate identity politics in Britain

FORMER prime minister Rishi Sunak has made cultural and sociological history by becoming the first prominent personality to say a brown person can be not only British, but also English.

He dismissed as “ridiculous” the suggestion from his former home secretary, Suella Braverman, that Englishness “must be rooted in ancestry, heritage, and, yes, ethnicity” – in other words, the person has to be white.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco plans to give away expiring food in waste reduction trial

Tesco’s latest move comes as part of a broader effort by supermarkets to address this issue

Getty images.

Tesco plans to give away expiring food in waste reduction trial

In a groundbreaking move to reduce food waste, Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, is set to trial a new initiative where expiring food will be given away to customers for free at the end of each day. This trial is part of Tesco’s wider strategy to cut food waste in half by the end of 2025 and contribute to the global push for sustainability. The initiative will involve offering already discounted "yellow sticker" items foods nearing their expiration date at no cost to customers after 21:30 in selected Tesco Express stores.

This plan has the potential to make a significant impact on food waste reduction, especially in the context of rising food insecurity and growing environmental concerns. The trial will be rolled out in a small number of Tesco Express stores across the UK, although the specific locations and start dates have not yet been disclosed. Tesco’s decision follows an ongoing commitment to sustainability and aims to address the dual challenges of food waste and food insecurity in the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sara Sharif: Court upholds jail terms for relatives

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik. (Image credit: Surrey Police)

Sara Sharif: Court upholds jail terms for relatives

https://www.easterneye.biz/sara-sharif-s-parents-appeal-life-sentences/A COURT on Thursday (13) upheld lengthy prison terms handed to the father and stepmother of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl who was killed after suffering years of torture and abuse.

The trial of Urfan Sharif and his wife Beinash Batool caused waves of revulsion in the country at the horrific way they had treated Sara Sharif.

Keep ReadingShow less
Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

FILE PHOTO: Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport, England (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

TERRORISM watchdog has rejected calls to redefine terrorism following last summer's tragic Southport murders, while recommending a new offence to tackle those intent on mass killings without clear ideological motives.

Jonathan Hall KC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, published his highly anticipated report on Thursday (13), concluding that the existing definition of terrorism should remain unchanged despite growing concerns about violent attackers with unclear motives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A military piper, choir, and the Sikh soldiers of the British Army took part in the ceremony.

Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A WREATH-LAYING ceremony was held at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill in London on 10 March to honour Commonwealth servicemen and women who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

Lord Boateng, chairman of the Memorial Gates Council, led the event, highlighting the importance of remembering those who served.

Keep ReadingShow less