The UK`s newly elected Labour government has appointed Rushanara Ali MP, of Bangladeshi origin, as a parliamentary under-secretary of state in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Her appointment, along with several others, was announced on Tuesday by both the government and the Labour Party. This follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer`s party securing a decisive victory in the recent election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule marked by significant turbulence.
Rushanara Ali, originally from Sylhet, has been elected as an MP for the Labour Party for the fifth consecutive term. She made history in 2010 as the first Bangladeshi-born British lawmaker when she won the Labour Party`s nomination. This election, she contested under the constituency name change from Bethnal Green and Bow to Bethnal Green and Stepney.
In the election, Rushanara secured 15,896 votes, narrowly defeating her closest competitor, independent candidate Ajmal Masroor, who received 14,207 votes. Other Bangladeshi-origin candidates like Md Somon Ahmed and Sam Uddin also ran as independents, while Rabina Khan contested under the Liberal Democrats.
Prior to her current role, Rushanara Ali served as the shadow minister of investment and small business, education, and international development. Her parliamentary experience includes work in committees focusing on treasury, levelling up, housing and communities, and energy and climate.
Earlier, the government also appointed Tulip Siddiq, another re-elected MP of Bangladeshi origin, as the city minister, recognizing her leadership in Labour`s initiatives concerning the financial services industry.
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