Mystery of the Missing Amritdhari Sikh Lord
British Sikhs have applauded the political maturity of the Labour Party led by Sir Keir Starmer in selecting identity Sikhs to stand as MPs to reflect the multi-cultural British Society today. As a result, four turban wearing Sikhs are now MPs, together with some others including Sikh women.
However, British Sikhs do not understand why, four years on, an appointment to the House of Lords continues to be denied to a prominent Amritdhari Sikh who went through the stringent process of vetting and approval to the highest level in December 2020.
The name of Dabinderjit Singh OBE, a highly experienced National Audit Office director with access to the inner workings of government departments, was suddenly withdrawn from the Lords appointment list. On 24 December 2020, an India Today headline informed British Sikhs that UK had ped nomination of a pro-Khalistan leader to House of Lords ahead of India visit by Boris Johnson. The news was heard with utter amazement because supporting or opposing Khalistan has never been a legal issue in the UK. One can only speculate why Wajid Khan, Founder of an absolutely anti-India group, Labour Friends of Kashmir, was appointed a Lord but not an Amritdhari Sikh who supports Khalistan.
The sequence of events in the public domain is as follows: On 9 November 2020 Dabinderjit Singh was contacted by Labour office that he was being nominated by Sir Keir Starmer for a life peerage. The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) successfully completed its vetting process with no issues raised and advised the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson for a decision to recommend Dabinderjit Singh to Her Majesty the Queen. The important point to note is that only the PM can recommend any one for a life peerage after HOLAC advice. The PM approved the nomination and referred it to the Queen. The Queen exercised the Royal Prerogative that Dabinderjit Singh should be made a life peer. Again the important point is that it is the Royal Prerogative to make decisions on life peerages and it is not delegated.
On 22 December 2020 the Cabinet Office informed the office of the Labour Leader of public announcement of 17 life peerages approved by HM Queen would be made at 2pm, including Dabinderjit Singh and that he should be informed. At 11am, the Labour Leader in the House of Lords informed Dabinderjit Singh so he could resign from his high profile politically restricted role in the National Audit Office before 2pm.
Then started the mystery! His name did not appear in the published list. It is not clear how the entire peerage process was allowed to be turned on its head. After all, this is UK where the law and due processes are expected to be upheld and not some trade related politics. Can the absolute royal decision be ignored indefinitely?
To our knowledge, neither the Labour Party nor Cabinet Office have been willing to make disclosures in relation to the legality of the initial and subsequent decision making. (For further details, please read the two news reports to which links are provided below.)
It would be a matter of concern for British Sikhs if support for the legal right of self-determination by the Sikhs as an independent people, becomes a reason for disqualification from awards and public appointments. We hope this matter is resolved as soon as possible to restore Sikh community trust in the British system.
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/world/story/dabinderjit-singh-sidhu-pro-khalistan-nomination-ped-1752636-2020-12-24
https://www.geo.tv/amp/326754-labour-under-intense-pressure-for-delaying-sikh-leaders-house-of-lords-elevation
Gurmukh Singh OBE
Principal Civil Servant retd (UK)