Cameron honours Indian-origin adviser Ameetpal Gill with OBE

Ameetpal Gill, Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian-origin adviser and speech writer is among two Indians who have been named in the list of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) released today.
Gill, 32, the Director of Strategy at 10 Downing Street, has been honoured with an OBE for public service as part of what is referred to as "Dissolution Honours" conferred by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the UK government.
Gill, born in the UK to Indian parents, has been a long- serving adviser to the British Prime Minister and started working for him in 2006. The Oxford graduate is believed to be a driving force behind some of Cameron's recent anti-extremism speeches.

Others of Indian-origin to be named in the latest round of honours include an OBE for Ramesh Chhabra, former media adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and an Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Lalini Phoolchand, deputy head of Direct Communications Unit at 10 Downing Street, also for public service.
The honours coincide with the announcement of 45 new peers to now attend House of Lords, including former foreign secretary William Hague. The majority of the new peers are from the Conservative party, with the Lib Dems getting 11 and Labour eight.
Senior Labour figures to be elevated include former ministers David Blunkett, Alistair Darling and Tessa Jowell.

Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, who was recently appointed by the government to carry out a review into how best to encourage start-ups in areas of high unemployment, is to become a Conservative peer.

Lib Dems who lost their seats or stood down at the general election in May 2015 have been elevated to the Lords, including former leader Sir Menzies Campbell, Sir Alan Beith and Lynne Featherstone.
Former Lib Dem ministers Vince Cable and Danny Alexander, who both lost their seats, had turned down the chance to enter the Lords and have been knighted instead.
The general view was that Cameron has rewarded his Downing Street and Conservative Party key figures with peerages and other honours. Downing Street stressed that previous prime ministers had all given honours to their aides.

There is also some criticism of Cameron as having created more peers than any other modern British prime minister, taking the total active membership of the House of Lords to more than 800.
Dissolution Honours relate to the dissolution of the UK Parliament and the 2015 list released today relates to the end of the 2010-2015 Conservative party led coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.
OBE is awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area while MBE is awarded for a significant achievement or outstanding service to the community. An MBE is also awarded for local 'hands-on' service which stands out as an example to other people.