Assam: Daughter of Lakhimpur doctor elevated to Baroness in the House of Lords

GUWAHATI: Ayesha Yusuf Hazarika, whose family comes from North Lakhimpur, has become the first British person of Assamese descent to join the House of Lords in the British Parliament.

Hazarika is a Scottish political assistant for the Labour Party and also works as a radio broadcaster. She was granted the title Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge when she took her seat in the House of Lords on May 9 in Westminster, London.

The ex-comedian, who worked as a special adviser to former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, MP Harriet Harman, and Shadow Prime Minister Ed Miliband, wore the traditional red robes for her brief introduction ceremony as a Baroness in the upper house of the British Parliament.

Baroness Hazarika was backed by other 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 well-known lawyer and Chairman of the North Lakhimpur Municipality Board.

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

In addition to serving as a special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman, and Ed Miliband from 2007 to 2015, Baroness Ayesha was involved in various roles.

She worked as a speechwriter, preparing leaders for major parliamentary debates like Prime Minister’s Questions. She also managed media relations, focused on women’s issues, and contributed to drafting the significant Equality Act 2010.

In August 2019, Ayesha was made editor of The Londoner, the respected diary page in the Evening Standard newspaper.

Baroness Ayesha was also well-known for appearing on various satirical panel shows like 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 an award-winning stand-up comedian. After leaving politics, she has performed highly praised one-woman shows at the Edinburgh Festival and on tours across the country.

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