Asian woman MPs create history in UK poll

POLL-RECORD

Prasun Sonwalkar
London, May 7 (PTI) A new record has been set with the
election of several woman candidates with origins in the
Indian sub-continent, including the first Muslim woman MP
Shabana Mahmood, who won on a Labour ticket.
Among the woman winners were Indian-origin Priti
Patel (Conservative) and Valerie Vaz (Labour). The latter's
brother, Keith Vaz, was once again elected from the Leicester
East constituency.
Results indicate that the number of MPs from ethnic
minority background will break the previous record of 15 in
the 2005 election.
Besides Shabana Mahmood who won from Birmingham Ladywood,
Yasmin Qureshi, Labour candidate from Bolton South East, also
won with majorities of more than 8,000.
Rushanara Ali (Labour) romped home victorious
from the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency with a majority of
over 11,000 votes.
A record 22 Asian women were in the fray for Thursday's
polls from all three main parties -- Labour, Conservatives and
Liberal democrats.
Until now no Asian woman had ever been elected as an MP.
The first male Asian MP, the Indian Dadabhai Naoroji,
was elected in 1892 for Finsbury in central London. Mohammad
Sarwar became the UK's first Muslim MP after winning Glasgow
Central in 1997.
Sayeeda Warsi became the first Muslim woman to sit on
the front bench for the Conservatives in 2007, but as a
baroness rather than as an MP.
A former Oxford graduate and barrister, Shabana Mahmood is
the daughter of the Birmingham Labour party's Chairman and
stood against another woman Asian candidate for the
Conservatives, Nusrat Ghani.
Speaking last month, Mahmood said: "The image of the
voiceless Muslim woman who cannot leave the house is just not
true, they are interested in politics. Parliament is for the
people - all of the people - and the ethnic minority
population should claim it."
Yasmin Qureshi, 46, is a Pakistani-born criminal
barrister, who moved to the UK when she was nine.
She said: "I'm absolutely delighted. Obviously, I am very
pleased the voters of Bolton South East chose a Labour
candidate and elected a Labour MP. It is a truly humbling
experience and I promise to work very hard for the
constituents." PTI PS
MRD


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