Pola Uddin, Baroness Uddin
Manzila Pola Uddin, Baroness Uddin ( Bengali: মানযিলা পলা উদ্দিন; Manzila Pola Uddin, born July 17, 1959 in Rajshahi, Bangladesh ) is a British politician (former Labour Party ).
Life and career
Uddin was born in Bangladesh. She moved with her parents in 1973 when she was 13 years old, to the UK and grew up in London's East End. She attended the Plashet School in East Ham and studied at the University of North London, where she graduated with a degree in social work. Uddin began her career in the late 1970s with the establishment and management of working groups in the field of community work.
In 1980, she began as a youth and community worker at the YWCA and later as a Liaison Officer ( Liaison Officer ) for Tower Hamlets Social Services ( 1992-2000 ) and Manager of Tower Hamlets Women's Health Project. From 1982 to 1988 she was the project manager for Women's Projects. They began in 1988 to work for Newham Social Services. In 1990 she was elected in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for Councillor ( Councillor ) for the Labour Party, the first woman from Bangladesh, who held such a position in the British local politics. They stayed for two years in office. She was in the Council from 1993 to 1994 Deputy Chairman ( Deputy Leader ) of the Labour Group and from 1994 to 1995 Deputy President of the Council ( Deputy Leader of Council). In 1997 she ran for the shortlist of the constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow, but this failed.
It was 2008 Project Manager at the charity AddAction. From 2008 to 2009 she was Chair ( Chair ) of the Government Task Force on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic ( BAME ) Women.
Membership in the House of Lords
On 18 July 1998 she was appointed Life peer as Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At her swearing she chose the formula with the affirmation "by Almighty Allah." Your inauguration, she held on 13 October 1998.
As their political interests they are to women's politics, international affairs, human rights and equality between women and men. As the state of interest are called Bangladesh. She was at the time of their appointment to the House of Lords where the youngest woman and the only Muslim and originally from Bangladesh woman. She was appointed to the House of Lords in particular because of their merits for the promotion and equality of women and because of their commitment to the rights of the disabled.
Since her admission to the House of Lords, she supported numerous initiatives, especially in collaboration with government ministries. She was a member of the Lords European Community Committee, the All- Party Children, Women and Disablement Group, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. It has a national and international reputation as a champion of equal rights for women, including for human rights.
Uddin campaigned for a higher level of education of Asian women: She founded in 1999 the first educational and training center for Asian women in Britain, the Jagonari Centre, based in Whitechapel, East London. She is a member of the EOP Implementation Committee and is a member of the Trusteeship Council ( trustee ) of the St Katherine 's and Shadwell Trust.
In 2005 she was chosen by Tony Blair as part of a working group to combat Islamic extremism. Nevertheless Uddin, 2006 was a signatory to an open letter to Blair, the British foreign policy, particularly the government's attitude to the Middle East, criticized in August. It was an open letter, in which the attitude of the government has been criticized for the Middle East. This was, three peers and thirty-eight population groups supported by three Muslim deputies of the lower house, which included Sadiq Khan and Mohammed Sarwar. The letter was criticized by the then Minister of State at the British Foreign Office, Kim Howells, the Muslim leaders for their stance to condemn the British foreign policy, criticized.
In 2009 she was nominated as a female peer of the Year ( Female peer of the Year ) at the Women In Public Life Awards, but did not win.
Uddin took until their suspension regularly attend meetings of the House of Lords. Their presence figures were constant since 2001 at the top.
Expenses scandal
A report by the newspaper The Sunday Times, May 2009 According to Uddin stated that a flat in Maidstone, Kent is their primary residence. Therefore, they moved every year since 2005 £ 30,000 tax-free allowances. This entry to the main residence should have allowed her to make an allowance for their second home, their London estate law. Neighbors in Maidstone reported that they have seen no inhabitants since the purchase by Uddin and that the property was completely unfurnished. Uddin, however, stated: " The Maidstone apartment is furnished and I reject most strongly that I should have never lived there. " Uddin was listed on the electoral register since 1996 under their London address. In addition Uddins indicates Facebook profile that they 've lived in London's East End for over 30 years.
The deputies of the Scottish National Party Angus Robertson called upon the report on to an investigation by the responsible authorities in the House of Lords and the police. On May 5, 2009, the Clerk of the Parliaments announced that the competent bodies of the House of Lords to examine the report of the Sunday Times. Uddin welcomed the inquiry: "I welcome this investigation and will fully cooperate, hoping for a quick fix and clarity about the fact that I have not violated the rules of the house. " Uddin said: "I do not think that I have something wrong 've done or have broken any rules of the House of Lords ". She stated: " I would strongly back that I 've never lived here. In fact, I had been buying regularly here. " Uddin said that her main residence lies outside London since 2001 and was awarded £ 83,000 as a result of expense allowances. Despite repeated questions she refused to specify the location or details of their principal residence between 2001 and 2005. According entry in the land register Uddin had bought the two- bedroom apartment in the center of Maidstone in September 2005.
Neighbors of Uddins second home in Wapping passed out, however, that they come and go every day they had seen and that it was known as " Auntie " in the community of Bangladeshis. Uddins house in Wapping, where she lives and is registered as entitled to vote is owned by a charitable housing association ( Housing Association ).
Uddins case, the police was handed over for a possible prosecution for fraud on 23 November 2009. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported later that she refused to cooperate with the police investigation and refused to answer questions.
In January 2010, The Times newspaper reported that the property during the period for which they had made allowances claimed, had been in possession of her brother and his family and is inhabited by him. Uddins sister in law said that she did not recall that Uddin had ever lived there. Uddin also claimed one of the highest expenses for overnight stays by members of the House of Lords.
On 10 March 2010, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that no charges against Uddin levied as a high-ranking representatives of the Parliament had decided that the principal residence of a peer can be a place also where that person only once resident in the month. There was no evidence that the compensation has to be paid back. On 18 October 2010 the Privileges and Conduct Committee of the House of Lords ruled that Uddin " had acted in bad faith " and recommended that she pay back £ 125.349 and shall be suspended until Easter 2012 by the Parliament. On 21 October 2010 the House of Lords voted in favor of the committee's recommendations.
The Labour group suspended in October 2010 its membership; since she is in the House of Lords as Independent (Independent ). In November 2011 it was reported in the media that may Uddin could return to the House of Lords again in 2012, without having refunded wrongly asserted expense allowances.
Other expense allowances, which were claimed by Uddin, were later known as the newspaper The Sunday Times revealed that they own a villa in Bangladesh. This was described built of Italian marble, with tiles, mosaics and a balcony. A study in this regard has been initiated. The villa was probably built after 1998 Life Peer Uddin was made and cost £ 140,000, which was organized by her husband Kumar: The property is situated in Jawa Bazar in Chhatak, where many of her husband's relatives are coming from. Uddin indicates that the land was bought by the family of her husband, namely in 1980 by Kumar's father.
Family
She is married with Komar Uddin, his family is originally from Chhatak, Sunamganj in Sylhet. Together they have four sons and a daughter. Uddin lives with her family in a house of the Housing Association in Wapping in Tower Hamlets district, but also stated to live in Maidstone, Kent.