Keir Starmer is all set to become the next Britain Prime Minister after Labour Party secured a resounding victory in the UK General Elections. The outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat and has also apologised to the Nation, taking the responsibility of the loss.
Even though Sunak has retained his North England seat, but the Conservative Party had to concede defeat to the Labour Party who cruised to victory by winning 378 seats.
In the 2024 general elections, 107 British-Indians contested for 680 available seats. Reports indicate that the new House of Commons will have more Indian-origin MPs than the outgoing one.
Some of the prominent British MPs of Indian-origin who have won include:
Rishi Sunak
As the first British Asian prime minister, Sunak held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, including Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) from 2015 to 2024 and has represented Richmond and Northallerton since 2024.
Shivani Raja
Shivani Raja, a Conservative Party leader, secured a victory in Leicester East, defeating prominent opponents such as former MPs Claude Webbe and Keith Vaz, who ran as Independents. Born in Leicester, Raja attended Herrick Primary, Soar Valley College, and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth II College. She graduated with First Class Honours in Cosmetic Science from De Montfort University.
Preet Kaur Gill
A member of the Labour Party, Gill was re-elected from from Birmingham Edgbaston. Earlier, she has served as the Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health.
Kanishka Narayan
Narayan, a leader of the Labour Party, has made history as the first MP of Welsh descent from a minority background. He defeated former Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns in the election. Born in India, Narayan relocated to Cardiff at the age of 12. Described by The Times as “the Old Etonian scholarship recipient and civil servant in the Vale of Glamorgan,” Narayan’s election marks a significant milestone.
Preeti Patel
Priti Patel, former Home Secretary, has retained her seat in Witham, Essex, winning 37.2 percent of the vote to defeat the Labour Party candidate who came in second place. Patel, of Gujarati descent, served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022 and has been an MP for Witham since 2010 as a member of the Conservative Party.
Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman, a Conservative Party leader, successfully won the Fareham and Waterlooville seat. Braverman, of Indian origin, was replaced by James Cleverly as Interior Minister in the latest reshuffle of the Rishi Sunak Cabinet. She was also dismissed from her role as Home Secretary after challenging Prime Minister Sunak.
Gagan Mohindra
Gagan Mohindra, born into a Punjabi Hindu family and a member of the Conservative Party, has been re-elected in the UK general election from South West Herts. He won with 16,458 votes, while Liberal Democrat Sally Symington came second with 12,002 votes. Mohindra’s parents immigrated from Punjab to the UK before his birth, and his paternal grandfather served in the British Indian Army.
Navendu Mishra
Navendu Mishra, a Labour Party member, has won again from the Stockport constituency. He previously secured the seat in the 2019 elections. Mishra’s mother is from Gorakhpur, and his father is from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. He has been re-elected with 21,787 votes. The Stockport constituency has consistently elected Labour MPs since 1992.
Lisa Nandy
Lisa Nandy, a member of the Labour Party, secured a comfortable victory in retaining her Wigan seat, which she has held since 2014, with 19,401 votes. The Reform UK candidate, Andy Dawber, came second with 9,852 votes, while the Conservative candidate, Henry Mitson, received only 4,310 votes, reflecting a difficult night for the party. Nandy is the daughter of Dipak Nandy, a renowned Kolkata-born academic noted for his work in race relations in Britain. She has represented Wigan since 2010.
