Tributes have been paid to Labour peer Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, who died on Wednesday aged 78. Lord Patel, famously known as Lord Adam, came to Blackburn in the 1960s to study accountancy at Blackburn College after graduating from the University of Baroda in Gujarat State, India.
Lord Patel served as director of the East Lancashire Training Enterprise Council, president of Lancashire Council of Mosques, vice-president of the Blackburn Community Relations Council and chairman of The Council of British Hajjis, which looks after the interests of Muslims going on pilgrimage to Mecca. Nearly 20 years ago, Late Lord Patel had laid the foundation of the movement for uniting and empowering the community. Vohra Voice UK has now taken the initiatives and is working hard to build on that foundation to achieve its lofty objective of uniting the Bharuchi Vahora Patel community here in the UK and worldwide.
MP Keith Vaz described the Gujarati-born father of eight, who was made a life peer in 2000, as "Labour's northern rock". The peer's funeral has been held in Blackburn.
