Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Asian peer apologises to campaigner over breach of code of conduct

Lord Rami Ranger agrees to remedial action after probe concludes his behaviour amounted ‘bullying and harassment'

Asian peer apologises to campaigner over breach of code of conduct

AN ASIAN peer on Tuesday (13) apologised to an Asian campaigner after a probe concluded he breached the parliamentary Code of Conduct relating to "bullying and harassment".

Conservative peer and founder of UK-based FMCG firm Sun Mark Ltd, Lord Rami Ranger, faced a Code of Conduct investigation by the Commissioner for Standards for the House of Lords following a Diwali-related event within the Houses of Parliament complex in London in October last year.

The complaint accused the peer of shouting and writing derogatory tweets directed at London-based campaigner Poonam Joshi.

"Regarding the possible breach of the rules relating to bullying and harassment, following my consideration of all the evidence, I concluded that Lord Ranger's behaviour did meet the criteria for bullying and harassment and therefore breached the Code of Conduct,” said the report by Akbar Khan, Commissioner for Standards for the House of Lords.

"In the light of the findings, I recommended that Lord Ranger apologise to Ms Poonam Joshi about his conduct and undertake bespoke training and behaviour change coaching. Lord Ranger agreed to the remedial action and has issued a written apology to Ms Joshi. Ms Joshi also chose to issue a written apology to Lord Ranger regarding her actions,” he said.

Joshi, founder of Indian Ladies UK (ILUK) women's organisation, told the inquiry that Ranger's behaviour had a significant impact on her and her family, as well as on her professional life and livelihood.

"In this report, the Commissioner has found my behaviour fell short of the high standards I expect of myself, and which others expect of me as a sitting member of the House of Lords. I have expressed my remorse and I apologise to Ms Joshi," the peer’s said in the apology, included as an appendix with the commissioner's report.

"The investigation process and reading and reflecting on the report has had a profound and lasting effect on me. I will continue to self-reflect and learn from this experience," he said.

In response, Joshi said she was grateful for the apology, adding that the commissioner's report has given her the opportunity to “reflect on my own actions, which have not met the standards I have set for myself. I am remorseful and accept that I bear a share of the responsibility for the circumstances which have arisen, and I apologise to Lord Ranger”.

The duo had been locked in a war of words, much of it playing out on social media, since October 2022. Khan's investigation was also provided with information related to the attendance of a representative of controversial self-styled guru, Nithyananda, at a Diwali event hosted by the peer in the Lords.

However, he concluded that Joshi's complaint of a possible breach of the parliamentary rules on the use of its facilities had not breached the Code of Conduct.

More For You

Air India

The Amritsar-Birmingham and Amritsar-London Gatwick routes will each increase from three to four weekly flights, while Ahmedabad-London Gatwick will go from three to five weekly flights.

Air India to increase flights between UK and India from March 30

AIR INDIA will increase flight frequencies on key routes as part of its Northern Summer schedule, effective 30 March 2025.

In the UK, the airline will add three more flights on the Delhi-London Heathrow route, increasing from 21 to 24 weekly flights using a mix of A350-900 and upgraded B787-9 aircraft.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pablo-Escobar-merchandise-Getty

Escobar, killed by security forces in 1993, remains a figure of global interest, with his image appearing on souvenirs like T-shirts, mugs, and keychains. (Photo: Getty Images)

Colombia considers ban on Pablo Escobar merchandise

COLOMBIA’s Congress is considering a bill that would ban the sale of merchandise featuring drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals.

The proposed law aims to curb the glorification of Escobar, who was responsible for thousands of deaths during his time leading the Medellín cartel, reported BBC.

Keep ReadingShow less
Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Polls show most Britons back assisted dying, with supporters calling for the law to reflect public opinion.

Assisted dying bill: Judge approval scrapped for expert panel safeguard

Eastern Eye

THE proposed new assisted dying law for terminally ill people will be amended to remove the requirement that a high court judge sign off on each case, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said on Tuesday (11).

Opponents of assisted dying said the change would weaken the safeguards around protecting vulnerable people from being coerced or pressured into taking their own lives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Malkinson

Malkinson, 59, has been struggling financially since his release and has been on universal credit for 19 months. (Photo: X/@NotThatBigIan)

Wrongful rape conviction: Andrew Malkinson to get 'significant' compensation

ANDREW MALKINSON, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, will receive a six-figure interim compensation payment from the Ministry of Justice.

The payment comes more than a year after his conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal in July 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
IMF team visits Pakistan to assess governance and corruption reforms

The assessment will shape structural reforms and examine protections for property rights and foreign investments

IMF team visits Pakistan to assess governance and corruption reforms

Eastern Eye

A TECHNICAL team from the International Monetary Fund met Pakistan’s chief justice Yahya Afridi on Tuesday (11) to conduct a Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment under the 2024 Extended Fund Facility programme.

The IMF team is in the country for a week-long trip to scrutinise the judicial and regulatory framework tackling governance and corruption as part of a £5.6 billion loan agreed last year.

Keep ReadingShow less