IN JUNE last year, it emerged that Asian business leaders are backing the Tories more than Labour – as Eastern Eye, our sister publication, examined political donations. Lord Waheed Alli had made multiple donations worth more than £25,200 to Labour. Lord Alli remains a prominent figure in Labour ‘war room’. Figures from the Electoral Commission showed that Lord Alli made multiple donations worth more than £25,200 to Labour. Also, in November 2022 he was appointed as the party’s chair of general election fundraising. Lord Alli boasts more than three decades of expertise spanning media, retail, entertainment, and technology realms.

Throughout his career, he has initiated and nurtured numerous prosperous ventures, both private and public. With a background as a thriving media entrepreneur and political figure, Lord Alli is adept at wearing multiple hats. He was the first openly gay member of the House of Lords and is a trailblazer for gay men of colour in UK politics, with many achievements to his credit. Since 1998, Lord Alli has held a position in the House of Lords. His appointment by the Tony Blair administration in July 1998, at the youthful age of 34, marked a significant milestone. Notably outspoken on gay rights, Lord Alli emerged as a prominent advocate for a community that had historically faced marginalisation and discrimination. His title, Baron Alli of Norbury, links him to the London Borough of Croydon in south London. In 2022, he orchestrated a notable comeback to the London stock market by assuming the role of chairman at Marwyn Acquisition Company (MAC) which targets takeovers in the creative industries.

Lord Alli, previously at the helm of online fashion and cosmetics giant Asos, expanded his portfolio by acquiring the operations and assets of the Indian online fashion enterprise Koovs in 2019. Co-founded by Lord Alli