Manzila Uddin, Baroness Uddin - Revision history

imported>RugbyFan88: Set the standard for Life peers

2025-12-05T16:03:57Z

Set the standard for Life peers

← Previous revision		Revision as of 16:03, 5 December 2025
Line 8:		Line 8:
	<!--\| native_name = মঞ্জিলা পলা উদ্দিন		<!--\| native_name = মঞ্জিলা পলা উদ্দিন
	\| native_name_lang = bn-->		\| native_name_lang = bn-->
	\| image = Official portrait of Baroness Uddin crop 2.jpg		\| image = Official portrait of Baroness Uddin crop 2, 2025.jpg
	\| image_size =		\| image_size =
	\| caption = Official portrait, ~~2019~~		\| caption = Official portrait, 2025
	\| small_image =		\| small_image =
	\| order =		\| order =
	\| ~~office~~ = [[Member of the House of Lords]]~~<br/>~~[[~~Lords Temporal\|~~Lord Temporal]]		\| office1 = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
	\| ~~term_start~~ = ~~21 July 1998<br/>~~[[Life peer~~\|Life Peerage~~]]		\| status1 = [[Lord Temporal]]
	\| ~~term_end~~ =		\| termlabel1 = [[Life peer]]age
			\| term_start1 = 18 July 1998
			\| term_end1 =
	\| birth_name = Manzila Pola Khan		\| birth_name = Manzila Pola Khan
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date and age\|1959\|7\|17\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date and age\|1959\|7\|17\|df=y}}
Line 51:		Line 53:
	Uddin started her professional career by creating and leading community working groups in the late 1970s.<ref name=baroness>[http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 About Baroness Uddin] The Baroness Uddin. Retrieved on 6 May 2009. {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707212808/http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 \|date=7 July 2011 }}</ref> In 1980, she started working as a Youth and Community worker with the [[YWCA]], and then a Liaison Officer for [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets\|Tower Hamlets]] [[Social Services]], and Manager of Tower Hamlets Women's Health Project.<ref name=dp/> She then began working for [[London Borough of Newham\|Newham]] social services in 1988. In 1990, Uddin was elected a [[Labour party (UK)\|Labour]] councillor in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the first Bengali woman to hold such an office of a local authority in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html British Bangladeshis who have made a mark] {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030124247/http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html \|date=30 October 2008 }} New Age Xtra (10–16 October 2008). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref name=guardian/> She was the Deputy Leader of [[Tower Hamlets London Borough Council\|Tower Hamlets council]] from 1994 to 1996.<ref name=kentnews>{{cite news \|title=Baroness Uddin embroiled in second home claims row \|url=http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 \|newspaper=Kent News \|date=4 May 2009 \|access-date=6 May 2009 \|quote="saw her rise to be deputy leader of Tower Hamlets council in the early 1990s." \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222084011/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 \|archive-date=22 December 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref>		Uddin started her professional career by creating and leading community working groups in the late 1970s.<ref name=baroness>[http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 About Baroness Uddin] The Baroness Uddin. Retrieved on 6 May 2009. {{webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707212808/http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 \|date=7 July 2011 }}</ref> In 1980, she started working as a Youth and Community worker with the [[YWCA]], and then a Liaison Officer for [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets\|Tower Hamlets]] [[Social Services]], and Manager of Tower Hamlets Women's Health Project.<ref name=dp/> She then began working for [[London Borough of Newham\|Newham]] social services in 1988. In 1990, Uddin was elected a [[Labour party (UK)\|Labour]] councillor in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the first Bengali woman to hold such an office of a local authority in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html British Bangladeshis who have made a mark] {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030124247/http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html \|date=30 October 2008 }} New Age Xtra (10–16 October 2008). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref name=guardian/> She was the Deputy Leader of [[Tower Hamlets London Borough Council\|Tower Hamlets council]] from 1994 to 1996.<ref name=kentnews>{{cite news \|title=Baroness Uddin embroiled in second home claims row \|url=http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 \|newspaper=Kent News \|date=4 May 2009 \|access-date=6 May 2009 \|quote="saw her rise to be deputy leader of Tower Hamlets council in the early 1990s." \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222084011/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 \|archive-date=22 December 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref>

	In 1997, she applied to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for the [[Bethnal Green and Bow (UK Parliament constituency)\|Bethnal Green and Bow constituency]] but did not reach the shortlist. Appointed a Labour [[Life Peer#Life Peerages Act 1958\|"working peer"]] by [[Tony Blair]], she was raised to the peerage, at the age of 39, as '''Baroness Uddin''', of [[Bethnal Green]] in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets,<ref name=gazette>{{London Gazette \|issue=55203 \|date=22 July 1998 \|page=7983}}</ref> for life by [[Letters patent]] in the afternoon of 18 July 1998, at the [[House of Lords]].<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/minutes/980721/ldminute.htm Minutes and Order Paper – Minutes of Proceedings – The House of Lords] Parliament (19 July 1998). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 \|title=Baroness Pola Uddin \|website=Women in Public Life Awards \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526024535/http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 \|archive-date=26 May 2009}} Women in Public Life Awards 2009. Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> She was the youngest woman on the benches and the only [[Muslim]] and Asian woman to be appointed to the House of Lords.<ref>Tahir Abbas ''(2005)''. ''Muslim Britain: communities under pressure''. Zed Books. pp.184.</ref> She was invited to the House of Lords for her contribution to the advancement of women and disability rights, swearing in by saying "Almighty [[Allah]]" as she took her seat in the parliament.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.~~guardian~~.~~co.uk~~/world/2002/jun/17/religion.immigrationpolicy Profiles of 10 leading British Muslims] The Guardian (17 June 2002). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> Since entering the House of Lords she has supported a handful of initiatives.		In 1997, she applied to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for the [[Bethnal Green and Bow (UK Parliament constituency)\|Bethnal Green and Bow constituency]] but did not reach the shortlist. Appointed a Labour [[Life Peer#Life Peerages Act 1958\|"working peer"]] by [[Tony Blair]], she was raised to the peerage, at the age of 39, as '''Baroness Uddin''', of [[Bethnal Green]] in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets,<ref name=gazette>{{London Gazette \|issue=55203 \|date=22 July 1998 \|page=7983}}</ref> for life by [[Letters patent]] in the afternoon of 18 July 1998, at the [[House of Lords]].<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/minutes/980721/ldminute.htm Minutes and Order Paper – Minutes of Proceedings – The House of Lords] Parliament (19 July 1998). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 \|title=Baroness Pola Uddin \|website=Women in Public Life Awards \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526024535/http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 \|archive-date=26 May 2009}} Women in Public Life Awards 2009. Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> She was the youngest woman on the benches and the only [[Muslim]] and Asian woman to be appointed to the House of Lords.<ref>Tahir Abbas ''(2005)''. ''Muslim Britain: communities under pressure''. Zed Books. pp.184.</ref> She was invited to the House of Lords for her contribution to the advancement of women and disability rights, swearing in by saying "Almighty [[Allah]]" as she took her seat in the parliament.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jun/17/religion.immigrationpolicy Profiles of 10 leading British Muslims] The Guardian (17 June 2002). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> Since entering the House of Lords she has supported a handful of initiatives.

	Uddin has been long campaigning for the increase of skills of Asian women living in Britain. She helped found the first purpose-built education and training centre for Asian women in the UK called the [[Jagonari Centre]], located at [[Whitechapel]], [[East End of London\|East London]], in 1987.<ref name="britbangla">{{cite web \|last=Gallio \|first=Fran \|date=2 September 2020 \|title='JAGO NARI, JAGO BANHISHIKHA': A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JAGONARI CENTRE IN WHITECHAPEL \|url=https://eastendwomensmuseum.org/blog/2020/9/2/jago-nari-jago-banhishikha-a-short-history-of-the-jagonari-centre-in-whitechapel \|access-date=29 September 2023 \|publisher=East End Women's Museum}}</ref> Uddin is a member of the EOP Implementation Committee, and a trustee of St Katherine's and [[Shadwell]] Trust.<ref>[http://www.obv.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=465&Itemid=115 Pola Manzila Uddin] [[Operation Black Vote]]. 2 August 2008. Retrieved on 6 May 2009.</ref>		Uddin has been long campaigning for the increase of skills of Asian women living in Britain. She helped found the first purpose-built education and training centre for Asian women in the UK called the [[Jagonari Centre]], located at [[Whitechapel]], [[East End of London\|East London]], in 1987.<ref name="britbangla">{{cite web \|last=Gallio \|first=Fran \|date=2 September 2020 \|title='JAGO NARI, JAGO BANHISHIKHA': A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JAGONARI CENTRE IN WHITECHAPEL \|url=https://eastendwomensmuseum.org/blog/2020/9/2/jago-nari-jago-banhishikha-a-short-history-of-the-jagonari-centre-in-whitechapel \|access-date=29 September 2023 \|publisher=East End Women's Museum}}</ref> Uddin is a member of the EOP Implementation Committee, and a trustee of St Katherine's and [[Shadwell]] Trust.<ref>[http://www.obv.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=465&Itemid=115 Pola Manzila Uddin] [[Operation Black Vote]]. 2 August 2008. Retrieved on 6 May 2009.</ref>
Line 85:		Line 87:
	The Crown Prosecution Service announced on 10 March 2010 that Baroness Uddin would not face any charges on the grounds that a senior parliamentary official ruled that a peer's "main house" might be a place they visit only once a month. There were no indications that the expenses would be paid back.<ref>{{cite news \|title=No expenses charges for baroness \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8564017.stm \|work=BBC News \|date=12 March 2010 \|access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref>		The Crown Prosecution Service announced on 10 March 2010 that Baroness Uddin would not face any charges on the grounds that a senior parliamentary official ruled that a peer's "main house" might be a place they visit only once a month. There were no indications that the expenses would be paid back.<ref>{{cite news \|title=No expenses charges for baroness \|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8564017.stm \|work=BBC News \|date=12 March 2010 \|access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref>

	On 18 October 2010, the [[House of Lords]] Privileges and Conduct Committee ruled that Baroness Uddin had 'acted in bad faith'<ref>{{cite news \|title=Three peers face suspension over expenses claims \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11567539 \|work=BBC News \|date=18 October 2010 \|access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref> and recommended that she should be asked to repay £125,349 as well as being suspended from Parliament until Easter 2012.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldprivi/39/3903.htm#a15 \|title=Privileges and Conduct Committee: The Conduct of Baroness Uddin \|work=House of Lords Publications \|access-date=18 October 2010 }}</ref> [[Waheed Alli, Baron Alli\|Lord Alli]] lent Uddin £62,000 to help her repay the expenses.<ref name="times2024">{{cite web \|title=Lord Alli lent £62,000 to bail out peer in expenses scandal \|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/lord-alli-lent-62000-to-bail-out-peer-in-expenses-scandal-57rpqg86v \|website=[[The Times]] \|access-date=2 October 2024}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>		On 18 October 2010, the [[House of Lords]] Privileges and Conduct Committee ruled that Baroness Uddin had 'acted in bad faith'<ref>{{cite news \|title=Three peers face suspension over expenses claims \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11567539 \|work=BBC News \|date=18 October 2010 \|access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref> and recommended that she should be asked to repay £125,349 as well as being suspended from Parliament until Easter 2012.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldprivi/39/3903.htm#a15 \|title=Privileges and Conduct Committee: The Conduct of Baroness Uddin \|work=House of Lords Publications \|access-date=18 October 2010 }}</ref> [[Waheed Alli, Baron Alli\|Lord Alli]] lent Uddin £62,000 to help her repay the expenses.<ref name="times2024">{{cite web \|title=Lord Alli lent £62,000 to bail out peer in expenses scandal \|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/lord-alli-lent-62000-to-bail-out-peer-in-expenses-scandal-57rpqg86v \|website=[[The Times]] \|date=2 October 2024 \|access-date=2 October 2024}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

	On 21 October 2010 the House of Lords voted to accept the committee's recommendations. However, in November 2011, it was revealed that no formal mechanism existed to prevent Baroness Uddin's return to the House of Lords, even if she refused to repay the expenses that were fraudulently claimed, leading many members of her own party to call for her to resign rather than bring the House of Lords into further disrepute.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Shamed expenses peer Baroness Uddin set to return to Lords despite owing £125k \|url=http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/shamed_expenses_peer_baroness_uddin_set_to_return_to_lords_despite_owing_125k_1_1127961 \|work=East London Advertiser \|date=16 November 2011 \|access-date=16 November 2011}}</ref>		On 21 October 2010 the House of Lords voted to accept the committee's recommendations. However, in November 2011, it was revealed that no formal mechanism existed to prevent Baroness Uddin's return to the House of Lords, even if she refused to repay the expenses that were fraudulently claimed, leading many members of her own party to call for her to resign rather than bring the House of Lords into further disrepute.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Shamed expenses peer Baroness Uddin set to return to Lords despite owing £125k \|url=http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/shamed_expenses_peer_baroness_uddin_set_to_return_to_lords_despite_owing_125k_1_1127961 \|work=East London Advertiser \|date=16 November 2011 \|access-date=16 November 2011}}</ref>
Line 135:		Line 137:
	[[Category:People from Rajshahi District]]		[[Category:People from Rajshahi District]]
	[[Category:Women councillors in England]]		[[Category:Women councillors in England]]
			[[Category:Politicians from Rajshahi Division]]
			[[Category:British politicians of Bangladeshi descent]]

imported>Swearsow at 07:34, 20 June 2025

2025-06-20T07:34:05Z

← Previous revision		Revision as of 07:34, 20 June 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Short description\|British ~~activist and~~ life peer (born 1959)}}		{{Short description\|British non-affiliated life peer and community activist (born 1959)}}
	{{EngvarB\|date=May 2015}}		{{EngvarB\|date=May 2015}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2015}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=May 2015}}

imported>Ravenpuff: Copying from Category:Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II to Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II WP:CAT#NON-DIFFUSE using Cat-a-lot

2025-01-27T09:59:17Z

Copying from Category:Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II to Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II WP:CAT#NON-DIFFUSE using Cat-a-lot

New page

{{Short description|British activist and life peer (born 1959)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name = The Baroness Uddin
| honorific-suffix =

| image = Official portrait of Baroness Uddin crop 2.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Official portrait, 2019
| small_image =
| order =
| office = [[Member of the House of Lords]] [[Lords Temporal|Lord Temporal]]
| term_start = 21 July 1998 [[Life peer|Life Peerage]]
| term_end =
| birth_name = Manzila Pola Khan
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|7|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Rajshahi]], [[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]])
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| citizenship =
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| party = [[Non-affiliated members of the House of Lords|Non-afflliated]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-uddin/1827 |title=Baroness Uddin |work=[[UK Parliament]]}}</ref>
| otherparty =
| spouse = Komar Uddin
| partner =
| relations =
| children = 5
| parents = Matin Khan (Father)
| residence = [[Wapping]], [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]], [[London]], [[England]]
| alma_mater = [[University of North London]]
| occupation = [[Activism|Community activist]]
| profession = Politician
| known_for =
| awards =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|http://www.baronessuddin.com/}}
| footnotes =
}}

'''Manzila Pola Uddin, Baroness Uddin''' ({{nee|'''Khan'''}}; born 17 July 1959) is a British non-affiliated [[life peer]] and community activist of [[Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]] descent. In 2009 she was included on ''[[The Guardian]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Muslim Women Power List for [[Great Britain|Britain]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/gallery/2009/mar/25/muslim-women-power-list |title=Muslim Women Power List | Society |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2015-11-25}}</ref> She previously sat for Labour when, in 2012, Uddin was required to repay £125,349, the largest amount in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal.

==Early life==
Manzila Pola Khan was born on 17 July 1959 to a [[Bengali Muslim]] [[Khan (title)|Khan]] family from [[Rajshahi]], [[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]]). She moved with her parents to the United Kingdom in 1973, when she was 13 years of age, and she grew up in [[East London]]. She attended the [[Plashet School]] in [[East Ham]] and was educated at the [[University of North London]], where she earned a degree in social work.<ref name=dp>[http://www.deafparent.org.uk/assets/DPUK%20Ambassadors%20Profiles1a.pdf Profiles and Support of Deaf Parenting UK Ambassadors] Deaf Parenting UK. Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref>

==Political career==
Uddin started her professional career by creating and leading community working groups in the late 1970s.<ref name=baroness>[http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 About Baroness Uddin] The Baroness Uddin. Retrieved on 6 May 2009. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707212808/http://www.baronessuddin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=198 |date=7 July 2011 }}</ref> In 1980, she started working as a Youth and Community worker with the [[YWCA]], and then a Liaison Officer for [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]] [[Social Services]], and Manager of Tower Hamlets Women's Health Project.<ref name=dp/> She then began working for [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] social services in 1988. In 1990, Uddin was elected a [[Labour party (UK)|Labour]] councillor in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the first Bengali woman to hold such an office of a local authority in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html British Bangladeshis who have made a mark] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030124247/http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/10/oct10/xtra_inner4.html |date=30 October 2008 }} New Age Xtra (10–16 October 2008). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref name=guardian/> She was the Deputy Leader of [[Tower Hamlets London Borough Council|Tower Hamlets council]] from 1994 to 1996.<ref name=kentnews>{{cite news |title=Baroness Uddin embroiled in second home claims row |url=http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 |newspaper=Kent News |date=4 May 2009 |access-date=6 May 2009 |quote="saw her rise to be deputy leader of Tower Hamlets council in the early 1990s." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222084011/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/baroness_uddin_embroiled_in_second_home_claims_row_1_1051039 |archive-date=22 December 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1997, she applied to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for the [[Bethnal Green and Bow (UK Parliament constituency)|Bethnal Green and Bow constituency]] but did not reach the shortlist. Appointed a Labour [[Life Peer#Life Peerages Act 1958|"working peer"]] by [[Tony Blair]], she was raised to the peerage, at the age of 39, as '''Baroness Uddin''', of [[Bethnal Green]] in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets,<ref name=gazette>{{London Gazette |issue=55203 |date=22 July 1998 |page=7983}}</ref> for life by [[Letters patent]] in the afternoon of 18 July 1998, at the [[House of Lords]].<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/minutes/980721/ldminute.htm Minutes and Order Paper – Minutes of Proceedings – The House of Lords] Parliament (19 July 1998). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 |title=Baroness Pola Uddin |website=Women in Public Life Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526024535/http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist_info.asp?id=11 |archive-date=26 May 2009}} Women in Public Life Awards 2009. Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> She was the youngest woman on the benches and the only [[Muslim]] and Asian woman to be appointed to the House of Lords.<ref>Tahir Abbas ''(2005)''. ''Muslim Britain: communities under pressure''. Zed Books. pp.184.</ref> She was invited to the House of Lords for her contribution to the advancement of women and disability rights, swearing in by saying "Almighty [[Allah]]" as she took her seat in the parliament.<ref name=guardian>[https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jun/17/religion.immigrationpolicy Profiles of 10 leading British Muslims] The Guardian (17 June 2002). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> Since entering the House of Lords she has supported a handful of initiatives.

Uddin has been long campaigning for the increase of skills of Asian women living in Britain. She helped found the first purpose-built education and training centre for Asian women in the UK called the [[Jagonari Centre]], located at [[Whitechapel]], [[East End of London|East London]], in 1987.<ref name="britbangla">{{cite web |last=Gallio |first=Fran |date=2 September 2020 |title='JAGO NARI, JAGO BANHISHIKHA': A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JAGONARI CENTRE IN WHITECHAPEL |url=https://eastendwomensmuseum.org/blog/2020/9/2/jago-nari-jago-banhishikha-a-short-history-of-the-jagonari-centre-in-whitechapel |access-date=29 September 2023 |publisher=East End Women's Museum}}</ref> Uddin is a member of the EOP Implementation Committee, and a trustee of St Katherine's and [[Shadwell]] Trust.<ref>[http://www.obv.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=465&Itemid=115 Pola Manzila Uddin] [[Operation Black Vote]]. 2 August 2008. Retrieved on 6 May 2009.</ref>

In 2005, she was selected by Blair to be part of a delegation to tackle Islamic extremism{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}. However, in August 2006, Uddin was a signatory to an open letter to Blair criticising the UK's foreign policy. It was an open letter criticising the government's stance on the Middle East. It was signed by three Muslim MPs (which included [[Sadiq Khan]] and [[Mohammad Sarwar (politician)|Mohammed Sarwar]]), three peers and 38 community groups. The letter was criticised by the then [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office minister]], [[Kim Howells]] who criticised Muslim leaders for condemning [[British foreign policy]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4787119.stm Minister criticises Muslim letter] BBC News (BBC) (12 August 2006). Retrieved on 31 March 2009.</ref> In 2008, she was made the chairwoman of the ethnic minority women's taskforce.

In 2009, Uddin was nominated for the shortlist of female Peer of the Year at the Women in Public Life Awards though was ultimately unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist.html |title=Awards Shortlist |website=Womin in Public Life Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522165220/http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist.html |archive-date=22 May 2009}}</ref>

In 2010, the [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party]] suspended Uddin indefinitely from the party in light of the expenses claim allegations.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/8071615/Expenses-Baroness-Uddin-Lord-Bhatia-Lord-Paul-ordered-to-repay-200000.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Rosa | last=Prince | title=Expenses: Baroness Uddin, Lord Bhatia, Lord Paul ordered to repay £200,000 | date=18 October 2010}}</ref> In 2019, a Labour Party spokesperson stated that Uddin was a member of the Labour Party.<ref name="Gambetta">{{cite news| url=https://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2019/11/ellge19-labour-candidate-brands-tory-attacks-racist-and-sexist/ | location=London | work=Eastlondonlines | first=Georgina | last=Gambetta | title=#ELLGE19: Labour candidate brands Tory attacks 'racist and sexist' | date=18 November 2019}}</ref>

In October 2010, under the recommendation of [[Committee for Privileges and Conduct|The Privileges and Conduct Committee of The House of Lords]] a suspension is to be handed down to Pola Uddin until Easter 2012 at the earliest for claiming expenses "to which she was not entitled". The committee also acknowledged a repayment agreement for expenses wrongly claimed.<ref>{{cite web|author=The Committee Office, House of Lords |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldprivi/39/3903.htm |title=House of Lords - The Conduct of Baroness Uddin - Privileges and Conduct Committee |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |access-date=2015-11-25}}</ref>

In December 2019, Uddin campaigned for the successful Labour Party candidate for [[Poplar and Limehouse (UK Parliament constituency)|Poplar and Limehouse]], [[Apsana Begum]], during the 2019 General Election.<ref name="Gambetta"/>

Uddin is Treasurer of the [[All-party parliamentary group|All Party Parliamentary Group]] (APPG) for International Students,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exeduk.com/appg-for-international-students |title=APPG FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |website=ExEdUK |date=14 February 2023}}</ref> and Chair of the APPG on the [[Metaverse]] and [[Semantic Web|Web 3.0]].<ref name=guardian-20230223>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/23/crypto-firm-with-links-to-parliamentary-groups-appears-to-have-vanished |title=Crypto firm with links to parliamentary groups appears to have vanished |last=Mason |first=Rowena |newspaper=The Guardian |date=23 February 2023 |access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref>

=== Expenses scandal===
{{Main|United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal}}
In May 2009, an article by ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' Insight team alleged that Uddin submitted House of Lords [[Expenses]] for a flat in [[Maidstone]], Kent as her main residence. The article alleged Uddin claimed [[Pound sterling|£]]30,000 [[per annum]] of tax-free expenses since purchasing the flat in 2005, and since 2001 on an unnamed residence outside London. The flat purchase was said to be connected with her to claim for second home allowance on her existing London [[property]], a scheme that ostensibly exists to compensate politicians living outside London for the cost of [[lodging|accommodation]] close to Parliament. Residents living near the flat in Maidstone reportedly said they had not seen any occupiers in the flat since Uddin purchased it and that it had remained completely unfurnished until 2009,<ref name=times>{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Sadie |date=3 May 2009 |title=Labour peer Baroness Uddin claims £100,000 expenses on empty flat |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211846.ece |newspaper=Sunday Times |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508080739/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211846.ece |archive-date=8 May 2009 |access-date=3 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Labour peer Baroness Uddin denies allegations that she left expenses home looking like a "squat" |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/04/expenses-peer-s-home-like-squat-115875-21330605/ |newspaper=Mirror |date=4 May 2009 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref> but Uddin claims: "The Maidstone property is furnished and I strongly deny that I have never lived there".<ref name=skynews/> Uddin's husband even denied having a property in Kent when questioned on the issue by the ''Times'', and she appeared on the [[electoral roll]] at her London address from 1996 to date. Additionally, her Facebook page states how she has lived in the East End of London for over 30 years.<ref name=times/>

Uddin claimed a total of £29,675 for accommodation in 2007–08, a time when the maximum daily accommodation claim was £165 a day. This represents a claim at the maximum possible rate for 179 days, more days than the Lords actually sat that year.<ref name="thisislondon.co.uk">{{cite news |title=Well-off Labour peer is a social housing tenant |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23685322-details/Well-off+Labour+peer+is+a+social+housing+tenant/article.do?expand=true#StartComments |newspaper=Evening Standard |date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510124712/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23685322-details/Well-off+Labour+peer+is+a+social+housing+tenant/article.do?expand=true#StartComments |archive-date=10 May 2009 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref>

[[Scottish National Party]] MP [[Angus Robertson]] called for an investigation on the report to the House of Lords authorities and the police.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news |last=Johnston |first=Ian |date=3 May 2009 |title=Calls for investigation over Labour peer Baroness Uddin's expense claims |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/5267229/Calls-for-investigation-over-Labour-peer-Baroness-Uddins-expense-claims.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506062617/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/5267229/Calls-for-investigation-over-Labour-peer-Baroness-Uddins-expense-claims.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 May 2009 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref> Uddin said, "I do not believe that I have done anything wrong or breached any House of Lords rules."<ref name=kentnews /> She stated "I strongly deny that I have never lived there. Indeed I have stayed there regularly since buying it".<ref name=telegraph/>

Uddin claimed her main home had been outside London since 2001, earning an extra £83,000 as a result. Despite repeated questioning she has refused to state the location and details of her main home between 2001 and 2005 for which expenses were also claimed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Sadie |date=21 June 2009 |title=Baroness Uddin provides no evidence for 83000 claim |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6544196.ece |work=The Times |location=London |access-date=22 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In January 2010 ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper revealed the property she had claimed for during this period was owned and occupied by her brother and his family, with Uddin's sister-in-law stating she couldn't recollect the Peer ever living there.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Sadie | date=17 January 2010 |title=Baroness Uddin caught in second expenses row |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6991021.ece |work=The Times |location=London |access-date=22 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> She also has one of the highest claims for overnight subsistence of any member of the Lords.<ref>{{cite news |title=The deserted Kent flat that earned baroness £100,000 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211535.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507141145/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211535.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 May 2009 |newspaper=Sunday Times |date=3 May 2009 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref>

Uddin's home in Wapping, where she lives and is [[Voter registration|registered to vote]], is a [[housing association]] property. [[Spitalfields]] Housing Association received a public subsidy of £37.8 million in 2008. The average rent for its properties is £104 a week, a sixth of the market rate. The allegations of fraud led the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] opposition leader in Tower Hamlets, Peter Golds, to state, "Lady Uddin is depriving a low-income family of a home which was built for the needy at public expense".<ref name="thisislondon.co.uk"/>

On 5 May 2009, one of the senior Lord's officials, [[Clerk of the Parliaments]], announced that the House of Lords authorities would investigate the report by the ''Sunday Times''. Uddin welcomed the investigation: "I welcome this review and will co-operate fully with him in the hope of a speedy resolution and clarity that I did not break the rules of the House."<ref name=skynews>{{cite news |title=Labour Peer To Be Probed Over Expenses |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Labour-Peer-Baroness-Uddin-Investigated-Over-Allegations-She-Wrongly-Claimed-100k-In-Expenses/Article/200905115275752?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15275752_Labour_Peer_Baroness_Uddin_Investigated_Over_Allegations_She_Wrongly_Claimed_%3F100k_In_Expenses |work=Sky News |date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510064126/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Labour-Peer-Baroness-Uddin-Investigated-Over-Allegations-She-Wrongly-Claimed-100k-In-Expenses/Article/200905115275752?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15275752_Labour_Peer_Baroness_Uddin_Investigated_Over_Allegations_She_Wrongly_Claimed_%3F100k_In_Expenses |archive-date=10 May 2009 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Labour peer faces allowance probe |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8034828.stm |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2009 |access-date=6 May 2009}}</ref>

On 23 November 2009, Uddin's cases were passed to the police for possible prosecution for fraud.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=Richard |date=23 November 2009 |title=MPs' expenses: four police files go to prosecutors |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6607616/MPs-expenses-four-police-files-go-to-prosecutors.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref> The ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' later reported that she was refusing to co-operate with the police investigation, refusing to answer any questions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Winnett |first1=Robert |date=24 December 2009 |title=Two MPs at centre of expenses investigation refuse to co-operate fully with police |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6874618/Two-MPs-at-centre-of-expenses-investigation-refuse-to-co-operate-fully-with-police.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref>

The Crown Prosecution Service announced on 10 March 2010 that Baroness Uddin would not face any charges on the grounds that a senior parliamentary official ruled that a peer's "main house" might be a place they visit only once a month. There were no indications that the expenses would be paid back.<ref>{{cite news |title=No expenses charges for baroness |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8564017.stm |work=BBC News |date=12 March 2010 |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref>

On 18 October 2010, the [[House of Lords]] Privileges and Conduct Committee ruled that Baroness Uddin had 'acted in bad faith'<ref>{{cite news |title=Three peers face suspension over expenses claims |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11567539 |work=BBC News |date=18 October 2010 |access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref> and recommended that she should be asked to repay £125,349 as well as being suspended from Parliament until Easter 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldprivi/39/3903.htm#a15 |title=Privileges and Conduct Committee: The Conduct of Baroness Uddin |work=House of Lords Publications |access-date=18 October 2010 }}</ref> [[Waheed Alli, Baron Alli|Lord Alli]] lent Uddin £62,000 to help her repay the expenses.<ref name="times2024">{{cite web |title=Lord Alli lent £62,000 to bail out peer in expenses scandal |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/lord-alli-lent-62000-to-bail-out-peer-in-expenses-scandal-57rpqg86v |website=[[The Times]] |access-date=2 October 2024}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

On 21 October 2010 the House of Lords voted to accept the committee's recommendations. However, in November 2011, it was revealed that no formal mechanism existed to prevent Baroness Uddin's return to the House of Lords, even if she refused to repay the expenses that were fraudulently claimed, leading many members of her own party to call for her to resign rather than bring the House of Lords into further disrepute.<ref>{{cite news |title=Shamed expenses peer Baroness Uddin set to return to Lords despite owing £125k |url=http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/shamed_expenses_peer_baroness_uddin_set_to_return_to_lords_despite_owing_125k_1_1127961 |work=East London Advertiser |date=16 November 2011 |access-date=16 November 2011}}</ref>

In December 2011 the House Committee in the Lords recommended that Uddin and [[Lord Hanningfield]] should not be allowed back to the Lords until the outstanding expenses had been repaid.<ref>{{cite news |title=Expenses: Peers banned from Lords until cash repaid |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16175509 |work=BBC News |date=14 December 2011}}</ref> The money was repaid in 2012 with the help of £124,000 of loans from friends, and she returned to membership of the House of Lords in May 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gadher |first=Dipesh |title=Friends' loans pay Uddin debt |work=The Sunday Times |date=3 June 2012 |page=11}}</ref>

The amount of money Uddin was required to repay, £125,349, was the largest amount of the [[List of expenses claims in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal|United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal]].

===Bangladesh mansion===
Further expenses claims by Uddin were later discovered when ''The Sunday Times'' revealed that she owns a [[mansion]] in Bangladesh. The mansion was described as made out of Italian marble with tiles, [[mosaics]] and with a balcony. The mansion was believed to have been built after Uddin became a peer in 1998, costing £140,000 which was organised by her husband Komar, located in Jawa Bazar in Chhatak; this is where many of her in-laws are originally from. However, Uddin claims that the land was bought by her husband's family, purchased by Komar's father in 1980.<ref name=Times>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6301734.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519195212/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6301734.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 May 2009|title=Baroness Uddin has a marble mansion in Bangladesh|newspaper=Sunday Times|date=17 May 2009|access-date=17 May 2009 | location=London | first1=Jonathan | last1=Calvert | first2=Claire | last2=Newell | first3=Solvej | last3=Krause}}</ref>

==Nomination==
In January 2013, Uddin was nominated for the Muslim Woman of the Year award at the [[British Muslim Awards]] but did not win.<ref name="asianimage">{{cite news |url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/10197507.Winners_honoured_at_British_Muslim_Awards/|title=Winners honoured at British Muslim Awards|publisher=Asian Image|date=31 January 2013|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Uddin is married to Komar Uddin; his family is originally from [[Chhatak Upazila|Chhatak]], [[Sunamganj District]].<ref name=Times/> Together they have four sons and one daughter.<ref name="dp"/>

==See also==
*[[British Bangladeshi]]
*[[List of British Bangladeshis]]
*[[List of ethnic minority politicians in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.baronessuddin.com/}}
*[https://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=3338419&page=1 Can Muslim Women Curb Terror?] ABC News
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEDzROASHq4 Al Jazeera – Everywoman – Baroness Uddin (21/12/07) Video]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiWjQCuNFKo Baroness Uddin talks about Geert Wilders Video]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnrFTsWR3TU World Autism Awareness Day/Baroness Uddin/Ivan Corea Video]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uddin, Manzila Uddin, Baroness}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi Muslims]]
[[Category:British Muslims]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]
[[Category:Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:People educated at Plashet School]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of North London]]
[[Category:People from Shadwell]]
[[Category:People from Rajshahi District]]
[[Category:Women councillors in England]]