In 2019, a record 15 Indian-origin politicians entered the lower house of the UK Parliament
In what came as a major surprise to political observers, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 23 called snap elections. With just over a week to go for the all-important July 4 polls, all eyes are now on Mr Sunak and his Conservative Party as they attempt to retain power against a resurgent Labour Party.
Besides that, many are also looking forward to the Indian-origin politicians, who are seeking reelection to the UK’s House of Commons. In 2019, a record 15 Indian-origin politicians entered the lower house of the UK Parliament after a historic election win for the Conservatives.
Here’s taking a look at Indian-origin MPs in the UK Parliament:
1. Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, has been the Prime Minister of the UK since October 2022. Mr Sunak has served as Richmond (Yorks) MP from 2015 to 2024.
2. Gagan Mohindra
Born into a Punjabi Hindu family, Gagan Mohindra is a member of the Conservative Party and was the MP for South West Hertfordshire before the dissolution of Parliament on May 30.
3. Claire Coutinho
A member of the Conservative Party, Claire Coutinho was elected as an MP from East Surrey. Her parents are of Goan Christian descent. She holds the post of Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
4. Navendu Mishra
Navendu Mishra was the Labour Party MP for the Stockport constituency after securing the seat in the 2019 elections. Mr Mishra’s parents are from India. While his mother comes from Gorakhpur, his father is from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
5. Munira Wilson
Munira Wilson is a member of the Liberal Democrats and was elected as an MP from Twickenham in the 2019 elections. She has been serving as the party spokesperson for Education since 2021.
6. Priti Patel
The Gujarati-origin politician served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. Ms Patel, a member of the Conservative Party, has been an MP for Witham since 2010.
7. Alok Sharma
Born in Agra in 1967, Sharma’s parents moved to Reading, a commuter-belt town west of London when he was five years old. As a member of the Conservative Party, he has been a Member of Parliament for Reading West from 2010 to 2024.
8. Shailesh Vara
Born in 1960 in Uganda to Gujarati immigrants, Mr Vara secured a win from North West Cambridgeshire seat in the 2019 polls. He served as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland between July-September 2022.
9. Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman registered a win from the Fareham seat in the 2019 UK elections. As a member of the Conservative Party, she served as the Home Secretary twice.
10. Preet Kaur Gill
Preet Kaur Gill is the first British Sikh female MP was re-elected from Birmingham Edgbaston in 2019. She is a member of the Labour Party and serves as the Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health.
11. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi is the first ever turbaned Sikh MP of the British parliament. A member of the Labour party, Mr Dhesi won from the Slough in south-east England, defeating Indian-origin rival Kanwal Toor Gill.
12. Virendra Sharma
Veteran Indian-origin MP and a vocal advocate of closer India-UK relations over the years, Mr Sharma managed a comfortable win from Ealing Southall in 2019. However, he recently announced his decision to step back from frontline politics and not seek reelection.
13. Lisa Nandy
Lisa Nandy is the daughter of Dipak Nandy, a popular Kolkata-born academic known for his work in the field of race relations in Britain. She is a member of the Labour Party and has represented Wigan since 2010.
14. Seema Malhotra
The Indian-origin Labour MP has represented Feltham and Heston since 2011. She has served as the Shadow Minister for Skills and Further Education since 2023.
15. Valerie Vaz
A member of the Labour Party, Valerie Vaz has been the Walsall South MP since 2010. She is the sister of former MP Keith Vaz.