In a historic outcome for Indian-origin representation, the UK Parliament will welcome a record 29 MPs of Indian descent following the 2024 general election. This significant milestone highlights the growing influence and involvement of the Indian community in British politics. Out of 29 members of Indian origin in UK politics, 19 are part of the Labour Party, 7 are with the Conservative Party, and 3 belong to independent parties.
Labour Party’s Strong Showing
The Labour Party emerged as the leading party for People of Indian Origin (PIO) MPs, securing 19 seats, a notable increase from previous terms. Among the notable retainers are Lisa Nandy, Nadia Whittome, Navendu Mishra, Preet Gill, Valerie Vaz, and Seema Malhotra. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi retained Slough with a reduced majority, while Thangam Debbonaire lost Bristol Central to the Green Party, highlighting competitive contests within Labour strongholds.
Labour celebrated a substantial victory with 12 new PIO MPs joining their ranks:
– Baggy Shanker (Derby South), a Sikh and former Labour leader of Derby City Council.
– Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick), a former trustee of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick.
– Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield), the constituency’s first female MP.
– Jas Athwal (Ilford South), who moved to the UK at the age of seven.
– Dr. Jeevun Sandher (Loughborough), an economist and former Treasury official.
– Kanishka Narayan (Vale of Glamorgan), the first ethnic minority MP elected to represent a Welsh constituency.
– Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East), born in Southall with roots in Delhi and Kenya.
– Satvir Kaur (Southampton Test), a former Labour leader of Southampton City Council.
– Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West), helping Labour seize the seat from the Conservatives.
– Sojan Joseph (Ashford), the first Keralite MP in the British Parliament.
– Sonia Kumar (Dudley), defeating a Conservative opponent with controversial views.
– Sureena Brackenbridge (Wolverhampton North East), retaining a key Labour seat.
Conservative Party’s Efforts
The Conservative Party welcomed two new PIO MPs:
– Shivani Raja (Leicester East).
– Neil Shastri-Hurst (Solihull and Shirley), a barrister and former British Army medical officer.
Key figures like Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Claire Coutinho, and Gagan Mohindra retained their seats. However, losses such as Shailesh Vara in North West Cambridgeshire and Ranil Jayawardena in Hampshire North East to the Liberal Democrats underscored competitive races across Conservative-held constituencies.
Liberal Democrats and Independents
The Liberal Democrats saw Munira Wilson retain her seat in Twickenham. Meanwhile, independents Iqbal Mohamed (Dewsbury and Batley) and Shockat Adam (Leicester South) made significant gains, reflecting diverse political aspirations within the PIO community.
Notable Changes
The retirement of Alok Sharma and Virendra Sharma impacted Reading West and Ealing Southall, respectively. Deirdre Costigan secured Ealing Southall for Labour with a substantial majority.
Minor parties like the Green Party and Reform UK fielded 13 PIO candidates but failed to secure any seats.
