New baron decides not to stand in council elections
Kuldip Sahota entered the House of Lords in November as a Labour peer
At a glance
A former leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, Lord Sahota, says he will not stand in May's local elections
He had been a Labour councillor since 2001 and was elevated to the House of Lords in November
Lord Sahota said the decision not to stand was a tough one but he did not want to be a part-time peer
- Published
A former leader of a council says he will not be standing in May's local elections after he was elevated to the House of Lords.
Kuldip Sahota said not standing in a Telford ward was a hard decision, which he considered for several months.
He entered the upper chamber in November as Baron Sahota of Telford.
"I've decided to concentrate on my work in the House of Lords as an active peer rather than just a part-timer," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.
Lord Sahota has been a Labour councillor since 2001 and thanked his constituents in Malinslee and Dawley Bank.
He came to the UK from India at the age of 14 and spent 15 years working at the local GKN factory.
After leaving the firm he set up his own business and, on becoming a peer, said he still planned to continue working at his wife's cafe in Wellington market.
Every seat at Telford and Wrekin Council will be contested in May's elections and you can find out more here on the BBC Politics website.
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