Sikh, Hindu and independent MPs in class of 2024

The 2024 UK general election results saw a significant influx of MPs from diverse backgrounds.

The new MPs for the House of Commons this year include a good mix of Sikh, Hindu, and independent representatives who have made history with their victories.

A record number of around 26 Indian-origin members of parliament have been elected as the Labour party last week won a resounding victory in the general election, ending 14 years of rule by the Conservatives.

Among the newly elected Asian-origin MPs are Jas Athwal in Ilford South, Sojan Joseph in Ashford, Satvir Kaur in Southampton Test, Shivani Raja in Leicester East, and Shockat Adam's independent win in Leicester South.

Jas Athwal, Ilford South (Labour)

Jas Athwal was elected as MP for Ilford South, securing 40.2 per cent of the vote. He won the seat for Labour with a margin of 6,894 votes in his inaugural general election campaign.

Born in Punjab, India, in September 1963, Athwal moved to Ilford, London at the age of seven. He attended Mayfield School and later studied at the London School of Economics.

Jas Athwal

Athwal started his career in computer security before establishing a children’s nursery in Redbridge. His political journey began in 2010 when he was elected as a Labour councillor for the Mayfield ward, subsequently becoming leader of the Redbridge Labour Group in 2011.

Under his leadership, Labour gained its first majority on the Redbridge Council in 2014 and retained it in 2018.

Athwal also served as executive member for crime and public protection at London Councils. In 2022, he won the Labour candidacy for Ilford South MP, marking his parliamentary debut.

Sojan Joseph, Ashford (Labour)

Sojan Joseph

Sojan Joseph, a native of Kottayam district in Kerala, India, made history as the first person from the south Indian state to be elected as a British MP.

Contesting in Ashford, Kent, as a Labour party candidate, Joseph defeated incumbent Damian Green of the Conservative party with a 1,779-vote majority, ending 27 years of Green’s term. Labour will now represent Ashford in Westminster for the first time.

Joseph has served in the NHS for over 21 years as a mental health nurse, and most recently held the position of matron in a mental health unit.

He moved to Ashford in 2002 and has lived in Willesborough since 2008 with his wife and three children. His election contributed to Labour’s gains in the general election, with a notable increase in vote share to 32.5 per cent.

Joseph said he aims to improve healthcare access, support small businesses, and enhance infrastructure in Ashford, emphasising his commitment to community revitalisation.

Satvir Kaur, Southampton Test (Labour)

Satvir Kaur

Satvir Kaur defeated Conservative’s Ben Burcombe-Filer by 9,333 votes in Southampton Test, securing 15,945 votes to his 6,612. She takes over from Labour’s Alan Whitehead, who held the seat since 1997.

Kaur served as Southampton City Council Leader from 2022 to 2023 and is the first female Sikh to lead a British local authority. Elected in 2011, she represented Shirley on the City Council.

Educated locally, she campaigned in the 2016 US election and led Labour after losing council control in 2021. Returning as council leader in 2022, Kaur stepped down in 2023 to focus on her parliamentary bid, succeeded by Lorna Fielker.

She advocates for Southampton’s investment zone and recognises refugees’ contributions to the city.

Baggy Shanker, Derby South (Labour)

Baggy Shanker

Baggy Shanker, born and raised in Normanton, Derby, won the Derby South constituency for Labour with a 6,002-vote majority, defeating Reform UK candidate Alan Graves. He succeeds Labour’s Dame Margaret Beckett, who retired after a career spanning over 40 years in politics.

Shanker started his political career in 2008 as a councillor for Sinfin Ward and became Labour Group Leader in 2020.

With an engineering background at Rolls Royce, Shanker said his priorities are job security and community investment. Influenced by his father, he wants to promote social justice and equality as well as focus on healthcare, job creation and neighbourhood safety.

Harpreet Uppal, Huddersfield (Labour)

Harpreet Uppal

Harpreet Uppal, born and raised in Fartown, Huddersfield, became the town’s first female MP after winning the seat with a 4,500-vote majority.

The Tories slipped to third place behind the Green party’s Andrew Cooper, who came second, with 10,568 votes.

Uppal, 41, studied politics at Nottingham Trent University and holds a master’s degree in international politics from Bradford University.

She served as deputy chief of staff for Debbie Abrahams and was involved in Andy Burnham’s 2017 mayoral campaign for Greater Manchester.

Elected as a councillor for Ashbrow ward in 2018, Uppal chaired the economy and neighbourhood scrutiny Ppanel on Kirklees Council until 2022.

Warinder Juss, Wolverhampton West (Labour)

Warinder Juss

Warinder Juss, representing Labour, reclaimed Wolverhampton West with 19,331 votes, defeating Tory candidate Mike Newton by a 7,868-vote margin.

A solicitor with 34 years of legal experience, Juss specialised in personal injury claims and was active in Labour party politics for 25 years, holding various roles including as trade union liaison officer. Juss chairs the Penn Branch Labour Party and serves on the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum.

He is also a member of the GMB executive council, advocating for trade union rights. Committed to regaining Wolverhampton’s Labour representation, he led a campaign focused on community engagement and the party’s core values.

Gurinder Singh Josan, Smethwick (Labour)

Gurinder Singh Josan

Gurinder Singh Josan won the Smethwick seat for Labour with 16,858 votes,defeating Reform UK candidate Pete Durnell by 11,188 votes.

Josan, a businessman, previously served on the Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and sits on Labour’s National Executive Committee and the West Midlands’ Strategic Policing and Crime Board. He was elected councillor for St Paul’s ward from 2002 to 2010 and is involved in various charitable and community roles, including as a trustee of HOPE Not Hate.

Josan was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019 for his political service.

Kanishka Narayan, Vale of Glamorgan (Labour)

Kanishka Narayan

Labour’s Kanishka Narayan made history as Wales’ first ethnic minority MP, winning the Vale of Glamorgan seat from Conservative leader and former Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns by 4,216 votes.

Narayan got more than 17,000 votes to become a first-time MP. Born in Bihar, north India, Narayan moved to Cardiff at age 12. He attended Eton College on scholarship, studied PPE at Oxford, and earned an MBA from Stanford.

Narayan joined Labour at 18. He was a civil servant in the cabinet office under David Cameron and also at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) under Liz Truss.

Narayan advised on public policy and technology as senior advisor and head of tech policy. Narayan also advised on climate and fintech start-ups and supported high streets during Covid-19.

He volunteers with Citizens Advice and The Trussel Trust and lives in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

Sonia Kumar, Dudley (Labour)

Sonia Kumar

Sonia Kumar has been elected as the Labour MP for the Dudley constituency, ending Conservative Marco Longhi’s five-year tenure. Kumar won by 1,900 votes, becoming an MP for the first time.

Previously, both Dudley North and Dudley South were held by the Conservatives. Kumar is an NHS physiotherapist and is a foundation trust member at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Northfield. She campaigned on the negative impact of Conservative cuts on public services.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Kumar’s family owned a small shop. Her priorities include safer, cleaner, and healthier living conditions.

Tackling concerns about rising crime through community engagement and collaboration with local police is also a priority for Kumar.

Sureena Brackenridge, Wolverhampton North East (Labour)

Sureena Brackenridge

Sureena Brackenridge, a member of the Labour Party, won the Wolverhampton North East seat with 14,282 votes, achieving a majority of 5,422 over Conservative candidate Jane Stevenson.

Raised in Ashmore Park, Brackenridge studied at the University of Wolverhampton. She is a deputy headteacher at a local secondary school.

Brackenridge served as mayor of Wolverhampton in 2021-22, focusing on unity and raising funds for homeless and veterans’ charities.

She advocates for equality, social justice, and a fairer society. Brackenridge criticised Conservative government policies, highlighting issues such as high taxes, NHS waiting times, and social care crises. During her campaign she stressed economic growth through local skills and workforce, aiming to attract investment for ambitious projects.

Kirith Entwistle, Bolton North East (Labour)

Kirith Entwistle

Labour’s Kirith Entwistle was elected MP for Bolton North East in 2024, defeating the Conservative Party’s Adele Warren by 6,653 votes. She received over 16,000 votes to become MP for the first time.

After her win, Entwistle said people voted for change. She emphasised her commitment to representing Bolton, where she has roots.

Entwistle has supported the armed forces community and campaigned to protect victims from press abuse and phone hacking. She works for WaveLength, a charity tackling loneliness and social isolation, and initiated the ‘Phone a Neighbour’ campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She has also campaigned for the Leveson Inquiry with Hacked Off and supported the Royal British Legion. Her husband is an army reserve.

Jeevun Sandher, Loughborough (Labour)

Jeevun Sandher

Jeevun Sandher won the Loughborough parliamentary seat from Conservative leader Jane Hunt, securing 4,960 more votes. Sandher campaigned on Labour’s core principles: prosperity and restoring public services, as well as raising wages, reducing bills and funding public services through taxes on major corporations and non-doms.

He also supported doubling doctor training places, increasing the number of nurses, and expanding police forces. Sandher’s background includes a PhD in economics, a stint at the Treasury, efforts to combat poverty in Somaliland, teaching disadvantaged students, and serving as a trade union representative.

He aims to ensure that all individuals in Loughborough and beyond have the opportunity to thrive.

Shockat Adam, Leicester South (Independent)

Shockat Adam

Shockat Adam, 51, won the Leicester South seat as an independent pro-Palestine candidate. He got 14,739 votes, defeating Labour’s shadow cabinet minister Jon Ashworth, who received 13,760 votes.

Adam’s victory was influenced by local discontent with Labour’s position on the Israel–Hamas war. In his victory speech, Adam stated “this is for Gaza” and praised the city as a model for people’s power over leaders.

Adam has lived, been educated, and worked in Leicester South. He has run an optical practice for over 15 years and is involved in community work.

Adam aims to focus on the needs of Leicester South residents and said is committed to addressing local issues such as the cost of living, NHS strain, and environmental challenges.

Ayoub Khan, Birmingham Perry Barr (Independent)

Ayoub Khan

Ayoub Khan, a pro-Palestine independent candidate, won the Birmingham Perry Barr seat by 507 votes, defeating Labour’s long-standing MP Khalid Mahmood.

Khan was a Liberal Democrat councillor in Birmingham’s Aston ward from 2003 to 2004, 2005 to 2012, and 2022 to 2024. During the 2023 Gaza war, Khan faced controversy for allegedly promoting a conspiracy theory on TikTok. He deleted the post, and the Liberal Democrats stated he recognised the comments were offensive and agreed to antisemitism training, which Khan denied.

In May 2024, he quit the Liberal Democrats to run as an independent and was endorsed by The Muslim Vote.

Shivani Raja, Leicester East (Conservative)

Shivani Raja

Shivani Raja is the newly elected Conservative MP for Leicester East, defeating incumbent Claudia Webbe and her predecessor Keith Vaz among nine candidates. She got 14,526 votes, with Labour’s Rajesh Agrawal receiving 10,100 votes.

Her win marked the constituency’s first non-Labour victory in 37 years and the only seat the Conservatives gained in the 2024 election.

Born and raised in Rushey Mead as a first-generation British citizen, Raja aims to improve Leicester through enhanced infrastructure, safer streets, community cohesion, support for local businesses, and job creation.

She supports tougher immigration controls. Shivani graduated from De Montfort University with a first class honours degree in cosmetic science. In 2017, she was a semi-finalist in the Miss India UK beauty pageant.