Assam: Lakhimpur doctor’s daughter becomes Baroness at House of Lords

North Lakhimpur: Ayesha Yusuf Hazarika who has her parental roots in North Lakhimpur has become the first British Assamese person to enter the House of Lords in the British Parliament.

Hazarika, who is a Scottish political aide of the Labour Party and a radio broadcaster, has been made Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge after taking a seat in the House of Lords on May 9 at Westminster, London.

The former stand-up comedian, who has previously served as special adviser to ex-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, MP Harriet Harman and Shadow Prime Minister Ed Miliband, wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony as a Baroness in the upper chamber of the British Parliament.

Baroness Hazarika was supported by fellow Labour peers Lord Dubs and Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws.

Baroness Ayesha Yusuf Hazarika is the daughter of Dr. Liyaqat Ali Hazarika from North Lakhimpur who moved to Glasgow in the 1960s.

Her grandfather, the late Yusuf Ali Hazarika was a renowned lawyer and Chairman of the North Lakhimpur Municipality Board.

Lady Hazarika was born in Bellshill, Scotland in 1974 and grew up in Coatbridge. She is currently a presenter with Times Radio.

Besides being a special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband from 2007 to 2015 Baroness Ayesha was a speechwriter, prepared leaders for big parliamentary debates including Prime Minister’s Questions, managed media relations, specialised in women’s issues and helped draft the landmark Equality Act 2010.

She is a columnist for the London Evening Standard, the Scotsman, Grazia and other national publications.

She frequently appears on television and radio including the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Newsnight, Sky News, Good Morning Britain, LBC and CNN International.

In August 2019, Ayesha was appointed editor of The Londoner, the prestigious diary page in the Evening Standard.

Baroness Ayesha was also a familiar face and voice on many satirical panel shows including The News Quiz, BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking the News and Have I Got News For You.

Her first book ‘Punch and Judy Politics — an insider’s guide to Prime Minister’s Questions — was published in May 2018.

Baroness Ayesha is also an award-winning stand-up comedian and since leaving politics has performed critically acclaimed one-woman shows at the Edinburgh Festival and on tour around the country.

She was awarded an MBE for services to politics in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from her alma mater Hull University in January 2019.