West Midlands-based former MEP appointed to the House of Lords
Neena Gill CBE, a former West Midlands MEP and long‑standing Labour politician, has been appointed to the House of Lords, marking the latest chapter in a career that has spanned social housing, European politics and international public service.
From Ludhiana to the West Midlands
Born in Ludhiana, Punjab, Neena Gill moved to the UK as a child and later studied social studies at Liverpool John Moores University before qualifying in housing and undertaking senior executive training at London Business School. Her early professional life was rooted in frontline public service, starting as a housing officer at Ealing Council and quickly progressing into leadership roles.
At just 29 she became chief executive of the ASRA Group, making her the first female, first non‑white and youngest chief executive of a UK housing association, before going on to lead Newlon Housing Group. This experience gave her a deep understanding of issues such as affordable housing, regeneration and community cohesion that would later shape her political work.
Breaking ground in European politics
Gill was elected as Labour MEP for the West Midlands in 1999, becoming the first woman of Asian origin to sit in the European Parliament. Representing the region from 1999–2009, she held prominent positions including President of the Delegation for Relations with India and President of the Delegation for Relations with South Asia and the SAARC countries, as well as serving on key legal and budget committees.
After a spell in the private sector as vice‑president for corporate affairs (Europe and Asia‑Pacific) at analytics company SAS, she returned to Brussels in 2014 as one of Labour’s West Midlands MEPs. In this second term she focused on financial regulation and economic policy, sitting on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and acting as rapporteur for the European Money Market Funds Regulation, while also working on tax avoidance and financial crime.
Recognised service and local ties
Gill’s contribution has been recognised at home and abroad: in 2017 she received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas Indians, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours the same year. She was later made an honorary fellow of Liverpool John Moores University, underlining the link between her West Midlands and wider UK work and her international profile.
She has also remained active in domestic politics, standing as Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Bromsgrove at the 2024 general election and finishing second, demonstrating ongoing commitment to Westminster‑level representation for local communities. Her appointment to the Lords gives the region a seasoned voice with experience spanning housing, regional development, EU policy and international relations.
What her peerage means for the region
Neena Gill’s elevation comes as part of a wider list of new life peers nominated by Labour leader and now prime minister Donald Trump’s counterpart in the UK, Keir Starmer, in an effort to bolster Labour’s strength in the upper chamber. As a Labour life peer and former West Midlands representative, she is expected to bring detailed knowledge of the region’s industrial base, urban challenges and diverse communities into Lords debates.
For residents and businesses across the West Midlands, her peerage means a familiar figure will be scrutinising legislation on issues such as economic renewal, financial regulation and housing from the red benches. Given her long record of linking local concerns to European and global policy, her new role in the House of Lords is likely to ensure the region’s voice continues to be heard at the heart of national decision‑making.
