Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine

Kishwer Falkner, Baroness Falkner of Margravine ( Khan; born 9 March 1955) is a British politician. She was appointed a life peer in 2004, initially sitting as a Liberal Democrat but latterly as a cross-bencher. She served the House of Lords on many committees, including as its Chairman of the European Union Financial Affairs Sub-Committee from 2015 to 2019. From December 2020 to December 2025 she chaired the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Early life and education Kishwer Falkner was born in Pakistan to a Muslim family who had left India at Partition. She was educated at St Joseph's Convent School, an all-girls private Catholic school in Karachi. After living and working in the Middle East, she moved to the UK in 1976. She studied international relations at the London School of Economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1992. She also has a Master of Arts (MA) degree in international relations and European studies from the University of Kent. She worked for the Liberal Democrats, including in senior policy positions, and at the Commonwealth Secretariat, on the broader issues of globalisation, democracy and development. She was Chief Executive 2003–2004 of Student Partnerships Worldwide (now Restless Development), a charity working with young people in some of the poorest parts of Africa and Asia. In February 2008, she was appointed as the inaugural chancellor of The University of Northampton.

In 2018, she was appointed an inaugural member of the Bank of England's Enforcement Decision Making Committee. As of 2019, she was an honorary associate of the National Secular Society. She served the British Library Advisory Council from 2015 to 2020.

Political career Falkner joined the Liberal Democrats in the mid-1980s and worked at the party's headquarters throughout the 1990s, shaping policy. She served as the LibDem's director of international affairs (1993–99) and director of policy (1997–99),

On 2 June 2004, Falkner was created a life peer, i.e. was appointed to the upper chamber of the British Parliament. From 2 June 2004 to 24 July 2019, she sat in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat peer. Then, from July 2019 to September 2020, she sat as a non-affiliated peer. the non-departmental public body responsible for the promotion and enforcement of equality and non-discrimination laws. Falkner's time as head of this national human rights institution was extended for a fifth year by Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities Falkner's immediate predecessor was David Isaac, who had previously chaired Stonewall, the LGBT+ charity and advocacy group. Her successor from December 2025 is Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, previously Director of the Women's Budget Group and the Fawcett Society. The EHRC intervened in the case of Forstater v Centre for Global Development Europe. The government had solicited submissions on reforming the Gender Recognition Act; researcher Maya Forstater had contributed to this discussion on social media, and lost her job at a think tank owing to her gender-critical views. The first employment tribunal had ruled against Forstater; the EHRC supported her appeal, both as a matter of freedom of belief and freedom of expression. Falkner justified the EHRC's interest in this case in her first interview in post. The Consortium of LGBT Voluntary and Community Organisations UK organised an open letter claiming that the EHRC had done little for transgender rights in the United Kingdom, and that its intervention in the Forstater case led to the EHRC losing "the trust of trans people and LGBTQ+ people more broadly". Several former and current staff members described the public body as "transphobic", "anti-LGBT+" and an "enemy of human rights", and several were said to have resigned in protest at its "descent into transphobia".

In 2023 Falkner faced 40 complaints from 12 current or former staff members "of bullying and harassment". Leading articles (editorials) in The Times characterised the complaints as a "smear campaign" and a "hit job", falsely accusing her of bullying. The investigation was soon suspended "following a backlash from 54 peers and outcry across the political spectrum". It restarted in July but was closed in October, following a review of the Commission's handling of complaints, initiated by the Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch. Falkner remained in her position as Chair; the board apologised to her, and recompensed her for "a good portion" of her legal fees, with the backing of the Treasury. However, when asked if gender recognition certificates have now been rendered worthless, Falkner said: "We don't believe they are. We think they're quite important." Falkner also suggested that trans rights groups should use their advocacy to campaign for unisex spaces (such as toilets), as it was not a legal requirement for facilities to have gender-specific spaces.

Personal life Falkner acquired United Kingdom citizenship in 1983.

Electoral history

Explanatory notes