TOP 8 - POLITICAL FIGURES 2018
ALAN MAK MP
Alan Mak became the first person of Chinese origin to be elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election. He has used his time in Parliament to campaign on a variety of social mobility issues and in 2018 was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Greg Clark MP, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
DAVID LAMMY MP
Dubbed the ‘black Blair’ Lammy became the youngest Minister in Tony Blair’s Government shortly after his election to represent the Tottenham constituency in 2000. As a backbench MP, he has developed a reputation as a campaigner fighting for justice for those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Windrush generation, as well as calling for reform of the formal justice system.
DAWN BUTLER MP
Dawn Butler made history as the first black woman to speak from the Despatch Box in the House of Commons in December 2009 following her appointment as Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement. After Jeremy Corbyn’s election to the Labour leadership she was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and has used this platform to promote opportunities for BAME individuals in education and the workplace.
DIANE ABBOT MP
Abbott became the first black woman to hold a seat in the House of Commons when she was elected as the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington at the 1987 general election. The prominent Labour politician is a leading campaigner on equality issues and as Shadow Home Secretary, has been working vociferously for justice for the Windrush generation.
MAGID MAGID
Magid Magid is a British Somali activist and politician who has served as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield since May 2018. His appointment generated significant media attention, as he is the first Somali, the first Green Party council and the youngest-ever person to hold the position.
RUSHANARA ALI MP
Labour’s Rushanara Ali was the first person of Bangladeshi origin to have been elected to the House of Commons at the general election in 2010. She is also one of the UK’s first female Muslim MPs. In April 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Ali as UK trade envoy for Bangladesh, as part of the cross party trade envoy network.
SAJID JAVID MP
Javid was appointed Home Secretary in April 2018 becoming the first Asian and the first from a Muslim background, to hold one of the great offices of state. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove in 2010 after a career in international finance with Deutsche Bank.
TANMANJEET SINGH DHESI MP
After serving as a local councillor and Mayor of Gravesham, Dhesi became Britain’s first turbaned Sikh MP at the 2017 general election when he was elected to represent the Slough constituency. “A glass ceiling has truly been broken and I sincerely hope that many more like me will follow in the years and decades to come”, said Dhesi in his maiden speech.