The subject of this article is standing for re-election to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 4 July, and has not been an incumbent MP since Parliament was dissolved on 30 May. Some parts of this article may be out of date during this period. |
Nusrat Ghani | |
---|---|
Minister of State for Europe | |
Assumed office 26 March 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Leo Docherty |
Minister of State for the Investment Security Unit | |
In office 7 February 2023 –26 March 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Alan Mak |
Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security [lower-alpha 1] | |
In office 27 October 2022 –26 March 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Jackie Doyle-Price |
Succeeded by | Alan Mak |
Minister of State for Science and Investment Security | |
In office 7 September 2022 –27 October 2022 | |
Prime Minister | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | George Freeman |
Succeeded by | George Freeman |
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | |
In office 11 July 2019 –13 February 2020 | |
Prime Minister | Theresa May Boris Johnson |
Preceded by | Paul Maynard |
Succeeded by | Iain Stewart |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Aviation and Maritime | |
In office 9 January 2018 –13 February 2020 | |
Prime Minister | Theresa May Boris Johnson |
Preceded by | Paul Maynard |
Succeeded by | Kelly Tolhurst |
Assistant Government Whip | |
In office 9 January 2018 –11 July 2019 | |
Prime Minister | Theresa May |
Member of Parliament for Wealden | |
Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
Preceded by | Charles Hendry |
Majority | 25,655 (42.1%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Azad Kashmir,Pakistan | 1 September 1972
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | David Wheeldon (m. 2002) |
Children | 1 |
Alma mater | Birmingham City University University of Leeds |
Website | Official website |
Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani [1] (born 1 September 1972) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Wealden in East Sussex since 2015. [2] She currently serves as Minister of State for Europe since 26 March 2024. [3] She has previously served as Minister of State for Industry and Economic Security and Minister of State for the Investment Security Unit. [4] [5] In January 2018, she became the first female Muslim minister to speak from the House of Commons despatch box. [6]
From 2018 to 2020, Ghani was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Aviation and Maritime and a Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury under prime ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson. [7] After having served as vice-chair of the 1922 Committee, she was appointed Minister of State for Science and Investment Security by Liz Truss in September 2022. [8]
Ghani was born in Kashmir [9] on 1 September 1972, the daughter of parents from Azad Kashmir. [10] [11] Ghani was raised in Birmingham, England in a working-class background and educated at Bordesley Green Girls' School. She studied at Birmingham City University, graduating with a BA in government and politics, and later gained a master's degree at Leeds University in international relations. [12] [13] [14] [15]
She was employed by the charities Age UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and later for the BBC World Service. [16]
Ghani first stood as a parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Ladywood at the 2010 general election, finishing third. [16]
Following the announcement of sitting MP Charles Hendry's retirement at the next election, Ghani was selected in December 2013 at an open primary in which anyone on the electoral register in Wealden could attend and vote. [17] The primary attracted nearly 400 residents. [18] [19] [20] [21] In the 2015 general election Ghani became the first female MP to hold the seat, being elected with a majority of 22,967. [22] In the 2017 general election Ghani won 61.2% of the votes, increasing her majority to 23,628. [22]
In July 2015, she was appointed as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and served until 2017. [23] [12]
In 2016, Ghani worked with Barnardo's, the UK's oldest children's charity, to undertake an independent inquiry into harmful child sexual behaviour. [24]
In July 2017, Ghani was promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Home Office. [25] Ghani was involved in producing reports on home affairs, security, hate crime, policing and immigration. [26]
In 2017, Ghani chaired the Government's Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network. [27]
She is a supporter of Brexit and described Sir John Sawers, the ex-MI6 chief, as providing only "gloom and doom" about Brexit. [28] [15]
In January 2018, Ghani was appointed an Assistant Whip and a Minister within the Department for Transport. Ghani was the first female Muslim minister to speak from the House of Commons despatch box. During the 2020 British cabinet reshuffle, Ghani was dismissed from government and replaced by Kelly Tolhurst in the Department for Transport. She had earlier been discussed as a contender to oversee the High Speed 2 rail line construction. [29]
Although she voted for the second COVID-19 lockdown, Ghani was a steering committee member of the lockdown-sceptic COVID Recovery Group, a group of Conservative MPs who opposed the UK government's December 2020 lockdown. [30]
In September 2020, Ghani "launched an inquiry with the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee exploring how it can look at the UK Uyghur supply chain." [31] The report outlined a series of recommendations to address the use of Uyghur forced labour in UK business supply chains. [32] Ghani was instrumental in the cross-party campaign for the introduction of the Genocide Amendment to the Trade Bill. [33]
On 26 March 2021, as a consequence of Ghani's condemnation of the People's Republic of China's treatment of the Uyghurs, it was announced that Ghani was one of five MPs to be sanctioned by China. [34] The sanctions were condemned by the Prime Minister and led the Foreign Secretary to summon the Chinese ambassador. [35] [36] On 22 April 2021, Ghani tabled a Motion before the House of Commons declaring that Parliament recognises that China is perpetrating genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs. This motion was passed unanimously. [37]
As of January 2022, she was a vice-chair of the 1922 Committee. [38]
In January 2022, Ghani said she was dismissed as a transport minister in 2020 because she was a Muslim. She said that a government whip had told her that, in the Downing Street meeting that decided her removal, her Muslimness was raised as an issue. [15] The Conservative Chief whip, Mark Spencer, came forward as the person who spoke to Ghani and said the allegations were untrue. [39] The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the allegations were serious and called on Ghani to make a formal complaint in order to allow an investigation to take place. [40]
On 21 November 2022, Ghani became industry minister, the fourth holder of the post in 2022 and the ninth in four years, succeeding Jackie Doyle-Price. [41] [42]
On 26 March 2024, Ghani replaced Leo Docherty as Minister of State for Europe. [43] Her role was taken by Alan Mak. [44]
Ghani married David Wheeldon in 2002 and has one child. [15] [12]
Gregory William Hands is a British politician serving as Minister for London and Minister of State for Trade Policy since November 2023. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelsea and Fulham, previously Hammersmith and Fulham, since 2005. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as its Chairman from February to November 2023. Hands has served as Minister of State for Trade Policy under four prime ministers, holding the office on four occasions, and also served as Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth from 2021 to 2022.
Wealden is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Nus Ghani, a Conservative. Ghani is the first Muslim woman to be elected as a Conservative member of Parliament.
Stephen William Hammond is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wimbledon from 2005 to 2024. He is a member of the Conservative Party.
Sir James Philip Duddridge, is a British politician and former banker. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochford and Southend East from 2005 to 2024. Duddridge previously held several ministerial positions under prime ministers David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Dame Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin, is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for West Worcestershire since 2010. Minister of State for Africa and International Development between January 2018 and July 2019, in 2022, Baldwin was elected Chair of the Treasury Select Committee.
Stuart James Andrew is a British Conservative politician, serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society since September 2022 and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities since October 2022. Andrew previously served as Government Deputy Chief Whip from 2020 to 2022, Minister of State for Housing from February to July 2022, and Minister of State for Prisons and Probation from July to September 2022. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Pudsey from 2010 to 2024.
Heather Kay Wheeler is a British Conservative Party politician, who was first elected at the 2010 general election as the member of Parliament (MP) for South Derbyshire, taking the seat from the Labour Party after 13 years.
Dame Jacqueline Doyle-Price is a British Conservative Party politician and former civil servant. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Thurrock in the 2010 general election.
Gareth Alan Johnson is a British politician and former lawyer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts from September to October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he previously served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from February to September 2022 and Assistant Government Whip from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022. Johnson was first elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dartford, winning the seat from Labour. He has been supportive of Leave Means Leave, a Eurosceptic pressure group.
Scott Leslie Mann is a British Conservative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Cornwall since 2015. He currently serves as a Government Whip. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Growth and Rural Affairs from September to October 2022. Between 2009 and 2016 he represented the Wadebridge West ward on Cornwall Council.
Wendy Morton is a British politician who served as Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from September to October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aldridge-Brownhills in the West Midlands since 2015.
William James Quince is a British politician and former lawyer who served as Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care from September 2022 to November 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, he was first elected at the 2015 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Colchester, defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Sir Bob Russell. From 2011 to 2016, Quince was a borough councillor in Colchester. On 9 June 2023, Quince announced he would not run as an MP at the next general election.
Maria Colette Caulfield is a British politician and nurse serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women since October 2022.
Kelly Jane Tolhurst is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochester and Strood since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Minister of State for Schools and Childhood from September to October 2022.
Huw William Merriman is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bexhill and Battle in East Sussex from 2015 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as Minister of State for Rail and HS2 since October 2022. He previously chaired the Transport Select Committee between January 2020 and October 2022. Prior to his parliamentary career, Merriman was a barrister and a local councillor.
Alan Mak is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Havant in Hampshire since 2015. He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Economic Security and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Investment Security Unit since March 2024.
Julia Louise Lopez is a British Conservative Party politician who has been both Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure and Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries since 2023. She has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornchurch and Upminster in Greater London since the 2017 general election.
Leo Docherty is a British politician serving as Minister of State for the Armed Forces since 26 March 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aldershot since 2017. Prior to being elected as an MP he served in the Scots Guards, before working in publishing and for the Conservative Party. He is the author of Desert of Death (2007).
Joyce Rebekah "Joy" Morrissey is an American-born British Conservative politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beaconsfield since 2019. She has been a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury since November 2023.
Paul John Holmes is a British Conservative Party politician serving as an Assistant Government Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Eastleigh since 2019.