Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece confirmed as speaker for our 2025 Annual Dinner

Photo © House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris

Baroness Meral Hussein-Ece OBE is a member of the House of Lords. She is the first woman of Turkish Cypriot origin to be a member of either house of Parliament after she was appointed a Liberal Democrat working peer on 28 May 2010.

She served as a senior councillor for 16 years in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Islington and was a Commissioner for the Equality & Human Rights Commission.

She was a previous Chair of the Ethnic Minority Lib Dems and served as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Equalities until 2022. 

She was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Year Honours 2009 for services to local government and on 25 June 2010 was created a life peer, taking the title Baroness Hussein-Ece, of Highbury in the London Borough of Islington. She made her maiden speech at the House of Lords on 15 July 2010 in a debate on criminal justice. 

In November 2012, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (DLitt) by Coventry University for her work to promote equality for ethnic minorities in the UK, and contribution to peace in Cyprus.

She is currently the President of Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine.

The Annual Dinner is on Friday 31st October 2025 (7.00pm to 10.00pm) at Lower Hardres Village Hall, Lower Hardres CT4 5NP

Tickets are available at £45 per person. 

To book, contact Maggs at: maggsmac@btinternet.com or Latchmi on 0750 495 6683.