Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

UK elects most diverse parliament in history

UK elects most diverse parliament in history
The Elizabeth Tower of The Houses of Parliament is seen on June 28, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Britain's new prime minister Keir Starmer will oversee a parliament more ethnically diverse and more female than ever after securing a landslide victory in the election on Thursday that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Black, Asian and ethnic minority lawmakers will represent around 13 per cent of the House of Commons, up from 10 per cent in 2019, when Britain last held a parliamentary election.


It will be the largest-ever share of ethnic minority members of the lower house, according to an analysis by British Future, a think tank.

In the 44 years since outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak was born, minority representation in Britain's parliament increased from zero to nearly one in seven lawmakers, British Future said.

But the share still does not fully reflect the diversity of the population and electorate. Around 18 per cent of people in England and Wales come from a Black, Asian, mixed or ethnic minority background, according to official data.

"The 2024 election is a landmark for representation, with record diversity in our parliament, closer than ever to that of the electorate," Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said.

"The irony that it coincides with the end of Rishi Sunak’s premiership as the UK’s first British Asian Prime Minister only underlines how ethnic diversity has become a new norm across the main political parties."

The incoming parliament will include a record 242 female lawmakers, 22 more than after the last election in 2019.

When Labour's Diane Abbott, Britain's first Black female lawmaker, entered parliament in 1987 there were just 41 women in the House of Commons.

Abbott, who was re-elected to the seat in northeast London which she has held for 37 years, will become the 'mother of the house' - an honorary title given to the longest-serving female member.

While final results have yet to be announced, Labour triumphed in Thursday's parliamentary election, winning around 412 seats, representing a majority of 174.

Britain's new governing party will have by far the largest number of ethnic minority MPs - 66 out of the 87 elected. But that diversity is unlikely to be reflected in its top cabinet when Starmer elects his front bench.

Shadow foreign affairs minister David Lammy, justice minister Shabana Mahmood and energy minister Ed Milliband are among ethnic minority ministers expected to be named in Starmer's top team. Thangam Debonnaire, who had been expected to join the top team, lost her seat.

The ousted Conservative Party has a stronger record for diversity when it comes to ministerial-level representation.

Addressing the nation outside No10 Downing Street on Friday in his final speech as prime ministers, Sunak said: "One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become prime minister."

Sunak was the country's first British-Indian leader and all three female prime ministers were Conservatives.

However, Labour's Rachel Reeves will be Britain's first female chancellor of the exchequer.

(Reuters)

More for you

Sainsbury’s local convenience store outlets
Image from Sainsbury's media
Image from Sainsbury's media

Sainsbury’s extends Aldi price-match campaign to 800 convenience stores

Supermarket Sainsbury’s has become the first grocer to extend its Aldi price-match campaign to its 800 local convenience store outlets.

In a bold move by its boss to win back market share from the German discounter, Britain’s second-largest supermarket chain today (4) has added price matches on 200 daily staples — including milk, chicken, bread and vegetable oil — in its local convenience stores.

Keep ReadingShow less
Glasgow retailer retires after serving community for 44 years

iStock image

iStock image

Glasgow retailer retires after serving community for 44 years

A convenience store owner in Glasgow has retired and handed over the keys after serving the community for 44 years.

The retiring shopkeeper couple, Abdul Haq and his wife Hameedah, have run Disqu Blu convenience store in Glasgow since 1980.

Keep ReadingShow less
innocent drinks, Co-op team up to donate portions of fruit and veg to charity

innocent drinks, Co-op team up to donate portions of fruit and veg to charity

innocent drinks, Europe’s leading healthy drinks company, is announcing a new partnership with Alexandra Rose Charity as it advances its mission to help people live well through the delicious goodness of fruits and vegetables.

Government statistics reveal that just one third of adults, and 12 per cent of 11–18-year-olds, are managing to get the recommended “Five a Day”. This is even starker for lower-income families, with the most deprived fifth of adults consuming 37 per cent less fruit and veg than the least deprived, and their children 29 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Spooktacular’ store POS drives sales, customer engagement for Nisa retailer NP Group

‘Spooktacular’ store POS drives sales, customer engagement for Nisa retailer NP Group

As the final key retail season of the year approaches, Nisa retailer NP Group is gearing up for Christmas with a renewed focus on store activation and point-of-sale (POS) strategy to drive sales following a successful Halloween.

With seasonal shopping trends in full swing, effective in-store activation and visibility are crucial for smaller retailers to capture customer attention and keep up with larger competitors. Data from Retail Economics shows that UK shoppers spent approximately £10 billion on seasonal products in 2023, with Halloween contributing £650 million alone, marking a steady increase in seasonal shopping over recent years.

Keep ReadingShow less