LONDON: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is being sued by a Pakistan-born Sikh Tory peer after claiming the stripping of his CBE over social media posts constitutes a threat to free speech.
Lord Ranger, 78, who was born in Gujranwala was given the award in 2016 for his services to business and community cohesion.
However, the multi-millionaire businessman was stripped of the title following a series of tweets which were found to have breached the House of Lords’ Code of Conduct and criticism of Sikh separatists.
He claims to be the victim of “cancel culture”, arguing in his action against the Prime Minister the revocation of his CBE was “disproportionate”.
A notice in the London Gazette in December 2024, said “the King has directed that… (the CBE) shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order”.
Although he still retains his MBE, the loss of his CBE is thought to have left Lord Ranger deeply embarrassed and distressed.
