Tulip Siddique, Britain's first minister of Bangladeshi origin

July 09, 2024
Tulip Siddique MP
  • While in the opposition Labour Party, Siddique served as shadow minister.

Tulip Siddique MP, who won from London as a MP for the fourth time in a row, has been appointed as the first Bangladeshi origin minister in the British cabinet. Tulip Siddiq was appointed Urban Affairs Minister in Sir Keir Starmer's new government on Tuesday.

While in the opposition Labour Party, Siddique served as shadow minister.

She was elected MP for the fourth consecutive time by getting 23432 votes in the recently concluded elections. Her nearest rival, Don Williams of the Conservative Party, got only 8462 votes.

The 41-year-old Tulip is seen by political observers as one of the most promising politicians of the new generation within the Labour Party. In the 2015 election, Tulip won the Labour Party's non-safe seat for the first time in a fiercely contested seat. 

Sheikh Rehana, the youngest daughter of Bangabandhu, went to comment on Tulip Siddique, the fourth consecutively elected MP and Minister of Britain, and said recently, I never dreamed that Tulip would enter politics. It is of her own volition. As a mother, as much as I can, I see my child the way I see myself.  I have no credit in her politics, all her own. 

Sh further said that my daughter has dedicated her life to politics. I want everyone to pray for her.

Tulip Siddique expressed gratitude to the Bangladeshi community in Britain in a response.

Siddiq, 41, has led Labour's efforts to develop policies for the financial services industry, known as 'the City' after the City of London financial district, since 2021.

Siddiq would succeed Bim Afolami, a former HSBC banker who held the role under the previous Conservative government.

Before the election, Daily Dazzling Dawn published several reports about Mrs tulip who could get a ministerial position if the Labour Party came to power in Britain. The name of Roshanara Ali, a five-time MP of Bangladeshi origin, was also being discussed alongside Tulip in the ministerial question. Tulip was elected MP four times from hotly contested constituencies, defeating dominant Conservative candidates four times in a row. On the other hand, Roshanara became an MP five times in a row from the seat discussed as a safe seat for Labour and with a majority of Bangladeshis.

Tulip was born on September 16, 1982, in London. Hamstead and Kilburn seats in London have been the second most hotly contested seats in Britain since the 1990s. Tulip was elected four times in a row from this seat after this year changing of the came & boundary of the seat.

Tulip Rezwana Siddiq, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Authors of Britain, was elected as an MP for the first time from this seat in 2015. A London-born career politician, Tulip entered British politics at the age of 16 as a member of the Labour Party. Before being elected MP, Tulip was elected as a councillor on Camden Council. She is the first woman councillor of Bangladeshi descent on Camden Council. Tulip is the second of the three children of Shafiq Siddique and Sheikh Rehana. Her parents, Shafiq and Rehana, were also married in Kilburn. 

Tulip became an MP for the first time from this seat in 2015. She got 23,977 votes in that election. In the 2017 election, she was re-elected by getting 34464 votes.

Tulip has responsibility for the financial services sector

Tulip Siddique, who has been appointed UK City Minister, will oversee the financial services sector. Restructuring Britain's economically stressed economy is one of the new Labour government's key promises. New Prime Minister Kier Starmer appointed Tulip to the important post after last week's landslide election victory. Since the beginning of the formation of the cabinet, the prime minister has been appointing the ministers by giving priority to their ability to work.

The position of City Minister responsible for the UK's City of London and the wider financial services industry includes the regulation of financial technology, crypto assets, and credit management policy.

Tulip, 41, is a professional politician. She is known as a wise and talented politician within the party.

The term 'City Minister' was first used as a nickname for the position of Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury, which was created by Gordon Brown upon his coming to office in October 2008.  The only person to have held the office was Lord Myners, who served from October 2008 to May 2010. 

In May 2010, as part of the ministerial reorganisation by the Cameron Government, the position of Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury was abolished. However, the idea of there being a minister specifically responsible for the city was retained, and it was decided that the post would be held concurrently with the position of Financial Secretary to the Treasury, held at the time by Mark Hoban.