As the Labour Party swept to power in the recent United Kingdom elections, it also made history by sending a record number of 26 Indian-origin Parliamentarians to the House of Commons. In all, 107 British-Indians contested the elections this time. The victory of these 26 MPs is also a testament to the success of the Indian immigrant story showcasing how Indians stay united, integrate themselves into communities, and contribute in significant ways.

We take a look at some of the familiar and not-so familiar names who are now in the UK Parliament and have Indian roots. Indian-origin MPs have won both from the Tories and Labour parties making it an interesting mix of politics and people one gets to see.

Rishi Sunak

He is probably the best known among all the 26 Indian-origin MPs who have won this time. He also holds the distinction of having been the first British-Indian Prime Minister of the UK. He was born in 1980 in Southampton on England’s south coast to parents of Indian descent who were both born in East Africa. His wife Akshata Murthy is an Indian citizen and is the daughter of Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. The couple has also had their fair share of controversies. Sunak’s anti-immigration stance came under a lot of criticism as did the tax questions raised over his wife’s businesses.

Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman served as Home Secretary to Rishi Sunak before she lost her job for defying her boss in November 2023. She was born to Indian-origin parents, who emigrated to the UK from Africa in the 1960s. In the 2024 election, she won from the Fareham and Waterlooville constituency. She campaigned for the UK to leave the EU during the Brexit referendum. Despite coming from a family of immigrants, she is known for her hardline views against immigration, and has previously vowed to reduce the annual inflow into the U.K. to “tens of thousands”. This is also the reason why she was hugely critiqued by many during her tenure. She was a very controversial figure then as Home Secretary and it will be interesting to see the role she plays from the opposition benches now.

Preet Kaur Gill

Preet Kaur Gill has won the Birmingham Edgbaston constituency from the Labour Party. She was also the UK’s first female Sikh MP in 2017. She was born to parents of Indian-origin in the UK, and was the Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health before the election.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has been elected from the Slough constituency. He is a Labour Party member. Interestingly, though he was born in Berkshire, he completed most of his primary education in Punjab, India, before returning to the UK at the age of nine. In Parliament, he was the Shadow Minister for Exports. He is also very vocal on social media about the Sikh issues in India.

Shivani Raja

Shivani Raja is the Conservative winner from Leicester East. She is a first-generation British citizen and was born to parents who came to Leicester from Kenya and India in the late 1970s. Her policies are in sync with that of Rishi Sunak’s and the Conservative Party, especially when it comes to implementing tougher immigration controls.

Sojan Joseph

Another Labour victory has gone to Sojan Joseph, a Kerala-born nurse, who has been residing in the UK since 2002. At just 49, he won from the Ashford constituency, where he became the first Labour candidate to triumph in its 139-year history. Originally from Kaipuzha, a small village in Kerala’s Kottayam district, Joseph has served as a mental health nurse in Kent’s National Health Service. Joseph’s wife, Brita, is also a nurse from Thrissur, Kerala. The couple has three children and currently reside in Kent. His father and siblings live in Kerala, India.

Priti Patel

A Conservative, Priti Patel has retained her Witham seat in Essex. Patel served as Secretary of State for the Home Department from July 2019 to September 2022 and has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Witham since May 2010. In November 2013, she was appointed as the first-ever UK Indian Diaspora Champion by the Prime Minister.

An overview

To sum it up, it was the Labour Party that saw more Indian-origin MPs win in the polls. Old timers like Seema Malhotra 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 in Wigan.

Interestingly, there are a million people who identify themselves as Hindus in the UK and are the third-largest religious group, according to the 2021 Census. In the coming days it will also be closely watched as to how the new Labour government treats India-related issues. But for now, the euphoria is for the success of many immigrants with roots lying in India – from Punjab to Kerala – who have once again cast a success story of the Indian diaspora. – Simran Sodhi is Executive Editor of nrifocus.com