Sikh figure Dabinderjit Singh’s House of Lords nomination delayed by Labour

Advisor to UK Sikh political group the Sikh Federation, Dabinderjit Singh OBE, has had his nomination for the House of Lords delayed by the Labour Party.

Labour leader Keir Starmer delayed the nomination despite Singh’s name being vetted and approved by the appointments commission.

Dabinderjit Singh, who continues was formerly spokesperson at the Sikh Federation, is an executive at the National Audit Office. He was given an OBE in 2000, and founded the Sikh Network, a collective of Sikh activists and professionals. He is also voluntarily part of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs.

He was set to be announced as a Lord earlier this month, but when the official list was released by Downing Street, his name was missing.

“Our understanding is (Labour leader) Keir Starmer recommended Dabinderjit to fill one of the nominations given to the Labour Party by the prime minister,” the Sikh Federation said in the statement. “The House of Lords’ appointments commission carried out all the necessary checks and concluded weeks ago [that] Dabinderjit was of good standing in the community and had no concerns on his past conduct that would call into question his appointment to the House of Lords as a Labour peer.”

“Dabinderjit’s name then went to the prime minister and Buckingham Palace for the formal sign-off. The Formal sign-off had been obtained and the only matter outstanding was a public announcement,” it added.

The decision has caused dismay among any in the Sikh community. Mankamal Singh, who is a finance manager and former executive committee member of the Faith Forums for London and Sikh Council UK, labelled him “one of the strongest political geniuses in the diaspora”, and renowned Sikh humanitarian Ravi Singh criticised Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.

Indian media have speculated that Labour’s decision to delay Dabinderjit Singh’s nomination came as a result of pressure from diaspora groups in the UK. Members of the Sikh community lamented the perceived in-fighting that led to the last-minute revocation, which has contributed to a continued lack of Sikh voices in UK political circles.

“Much has been made in the Indian media of Dabinderjit’s support for the re-establishment of an independent Sikh state,” the Sikh Federation’s statement added. “This should not be a matter of concern for Labour as there are many MPs and Lords who have strong personal views in relation to Kashmir, Palestine, and the establishment of other independent states.”