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 and Anant Nahata, Koovs targets India’s burgeoning young middle class and stands out as the sole Indian e-commerce platform collaborating with artists and influencers to craft exclusive collections. Additionally, Lord Alli played a pivotal role in launching television production ventures such as Planet 24 and Shine, and he chaired the television group Chorion. Under his leadership as founder and CEO of Silvergate Media, he secured the rights to The Octonauts’ intellectual property and distribution in 2011, forging international partnerships with industry giants like Netflix, Disney, and Nickelodeon. This venture culminated in the sale of Silvergate Media to Sony in 2019. Lord Alli held significant roles, including Chancellor of De Montfort University Leicester from 2006 to 2016 and is also a board member of the London School of Eco nomics and Political Science.
He has actively engaged in diverse public responsibilities, serving on the executive of the British Youth Council, the Teaching Training Agen cy, and the Creative Indu tries Taskforce. Prior to stepping down in 2017 after an 11-year tenure, he served as president of the National Youth Theatre. Furthermore, Lord Alli has been a steadfast advocate for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, assuming the role of its patron. He as sists the foundation in ad dressing global LGBTQI+ legislation and discrimination issues