Significant Presence : Indians Are Writing History In UK Parliament

Making a comeback after 14 years, Labour party’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election has made yet another unprecedented accomplishment with the House of Commons welcoming a historic number of 29 Indian-origin members. Labour leads with 19 PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) MPs, including 12 first-time parliamentarians, marking a significant increase in diversity and representation within the UK Parliament.

The party has emerged as the predominant party among People of Indian Origin (PIO) MPs, winning 19 seats, marking a substantial rise compared to previous terms. Labour celebrated a significant win as they welcomed 12 new PIO MPs into their fold. Notable incumbents such as Lisa Nandy, Nadia Whittome, Navendu Mishra, Preet Gill, Valerie Vaz, and Seema Malhotra comfortably secured their seats. The 2024 elections have established a new benchmark for PIO representation in British politics. Labour’s strong performance underscores evolving political dynamics and increasing community influence. The diverse group of PIO MPs now serving in the UK Parliament represents a significant stride towards greater diversity and inclusivity in parliamentary positions.

With election results tally, the Labour Party saw the maximum number of winning Indian diaspora candidates, starting with party veterans such as Seema Malhotra – who held on to her Feltham and Heston constituency with a comfortable margin. Goan-origin Valerie Vaz, sister of Keith Vaz, won in Walsall and Bloxwich, as did Lisa Nandy with a big margin in Wigan.

British Sikh MPs Preet Kaur Gill, who defeated Tory first-timer Ashvir Sangha, and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi both won back their seats for Labour in Birmingham Edgbaston and Slough respectively. Navendu Mishra (Stockport) and Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East) were among the other Labour MPs re-elected with convincing majorities.

It was among the newcomers that British Indians made a big mark for the Labour Party, with Jas Athwal (Ilford South), Baggy Shanker (Derby South), Satvir Kaur (Southampton Test), Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield), Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West), Gurinder Josan (Smethwick), Kanishka Narayan (Vale of Glamorgan), Sonia Kumar (Dudley), Sureena Brackenbridge (Wolverhampton North East), Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East), Jeevun Sandher (Loughborough) and Sojan Joseph (Ashford) among those set to take their seats in Parliament next week.

The Labour Party, which lost in the 2019 election due to it’s anti-India stance has made significant amends under the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It fielded a record number of Indian-origin candidates in this election.

The previous UK Parliament, with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, had 15 Indian-origin MPs, eight from Labour and seven from the Conservative Party, among 65 non-while MPs elected, setting a strong diverse milestone in the British political history.

The British-Indian community has prospered in the last few years quite significantly, influencing politics, with some inclining towards Conservative policies. Under Starmer’s leadership, Labour is working to rebuild its relationship with the Indian community, increasing engagement, fielding more Indian-origin candidates, and renewing outreach efforts, adjusting its foreign policy approach to focus on the issues of British-Indians. Immigration and citizenship issues also remain central to the British-Indian population, with demand to streamline visa processes, work permits etc.

Truly, the Indians’ have come a long way in making a mark for themselves and for the country per se. Holding key positions in the decision making for the respective countries, shows the strength of the Indian community spread globally.