Conservative Peer Lord Rami Ranger’s CBE Revoked

The Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) awarded to Lord Rami Ranger, a Conservative peer and significant donor, has been withdrawn. This action follows a determination by the Forfeiture Committee, the body responsible for advising on the removal of honours, that Lord Ranger’s conduct had discredited the honours system. This determination was made subsequent to a report from the Lords standards watchdog, which concluded that he had engaged in bullying and harassment of a journalist via social media platforms. The committee’s considerations also encompassed social media content posted by Lord Ranger concerning the Sikh community, in addition to remarks made in the media regarding Pakistanis, according to information obtained by the BBC. Lord Ranger expressed his “devastated” reaction to the revocation of the honour, stating his intention to pursue “various legal avenues” to contest what he termed an “unjust” decision. A formal announcement in the London Gazette on Friday confirmed that the King had issued a directive for Lord Ranger’s honour to be “cancelled and annulled.” He received the CBE in 2016 in recognition of his contributions to business and community cohesion. Subsequently, he was elevated to the peerage in 2019 as part of Theresa May’s resignation honours list. A representative for Lord Ranger asserted that the peer “has not committed any crime nor has he broken any law, where the majority of the people who have had their honour revoked in this way have committed a crime or broken the law.” The spokesperson further commented, “It is a sad indictment that the honours system which is designed to empower individuals who go the extra mile and, as a result, contribute a great deal to the nation should be used to curtail the basic fundamental rights of free speech and thought process.” The spokesperson also stated that Lord Ranger had offered apologies and engaged in rehabilitative efforts concerning the complaints lodged against him, suggesting that this decision might “encourage individuals to make spurious complaints about others.” They concluded by stating, “He is looking at all options for redress via various legal avenues open to him and will challenge this unjust decision in order to vindicate himself and clear his name in the UK and abroad. Lord Ranger was a worthy recipient of his CBE.” They also described the process of its removal as “shameful.” Last year, Lord Ranger faced suspension from the Conservative parliamentary party subsequent to the report by the Lords commissioner for standards, though he was reinstated in November. The entrepreneur has contributed approximately £1.5 million to the Conservative Party since 2009. In the previous year, Lord Ranger issued an apology to Poonam Joshi, an Indian journalist residing in the UK, following the Lords standards commissioner’s finding that he had misused his authority by “persistently undermining, humiliating and denigrating” her through multiple posts on Twitter. The revocation of honours is possible upon the recommendation of the Forfeiture Committee and with the King’s endorsement. Potential grounds for removal encompass conviction for a criminal offence, conduct leading to disciplinary action by a regulatory or professional organization, or any other actions considered to bring the honours system into disrepute. The Conservative Party was approached for a statement.