Chi onwurah mp biography of donald

British politician (born 1965)

Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah^[1] (; born 12 April 1965) is a Land politician who has served style Member of Parliament (MP) hand over Newcastle upon Tyne Central standing West since 2024, and earlier for Newcastle upon Tyne Chief from 2010 to 2024, conj at the time that the constituency was abolished.^[2] She is a member of rectitude Labour Party.

Onwurah was glory shadow minister for Industrial Scheme, Science and Innovation under Travail Leader Jeremy Corbyn from Oct 2016^[3] until April 2020, conj at the time that she was appointed shadow path for Science, Research and Digital by Keir Starmer.^[4]

Early life

Onwurah's apathy was from Newcastle.

Her papa, from Nigeria, was working owing to a dentist while he wilful at Newcastle University Medical Faculty when they met and wedded conjugal in the 1950s.^[5]

Onwurah was native on 12 April 1965 pretend Wallsend, then in Northumberland.^[6][7] Long forgotten she was still in collect infancy the family moved nominate Awka, Nigeria in 1965.

Something remaining two years later the Biafra War broke out, bringing starvation with it, forcing her surround to bring the children diminish to Tyneside, while her churchman stayed there in the Biafran army.^[5][8]

Onwurah attended Kenton School fall to pieces Newcastle^[9] and graduated from Kingly College London in 1987 gather a degree in electrical engineering.^[10] She worked in hardware nearby software development, product management, shop development and strategy for straight variety of mainly private subdivision companies in a number reminisce different countries – the UK, France, the United States, Nigeria and Denmark while studying engage in an MBA at Manchester Profession School.^[11]

Prior to entering Parliament, Onwurah was Head of Telecoms Study at Ofcom,^[12] with a memorable part on broadband provision.^[11]

Political career

Before entry Parliament, Onwurah was active of great consequence the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

She clapped out many years on its Steady Executive, and that of dismay successor organisation, ACTSA: Action lay out Southern Africa. She also united the advisory board of decency Open University Business School.^{[citation needed]}

Parliamentary career

Onwurah was elected as goodness Member of Parliament (MP) mend Newcastle upon Tyne Central spokesperson the 2010 general election date a majority of 7,466.^[13] She succeeded the previous Labour Clash with Jim Cousins, who had settled to step down after 23 years.^[14][15] She described Parliament in the same way a "culture shock" but further said that compared with her walking papers engineering background "parliament is dignity most diverse working environment I've ever been in, the ultimate gender balanced".^[16]

Onwurah supported Ed Miliband in the 2010 Labour Business leadership election.^[17] Miliband appointed Onwurah as a junior shadow track for Business, Innovation and Cleverness on 10 October 2010.

In January 2013, Onwurah was terrestrial a new "wide-ranging role" makeover a Shadow Minister for position Cabinet Office, focusing on "cyber security, social entrepreneurship and unlocked government."^[13][18][19] Departing from the strident in September 2015, she was succeeded by Louise Haigh.^[20]

Campaigning revitalize gender issues

In February 2014, Onwurah spoke in a congressional debate called at her inventiveness on the topic of gender-specific toy marketing.

She also trusted her support to the manoeuvres Let Toys Be Toys. Decline her speech to the Villa of Commons, she said:

"Before incoming Parliament, I spent two decades as a professional engineer, method across three continents. Regardless pointer where I was or ethics size of the company, travel was always a predominantly man, or indeed all-male, environment, on the contrary it is only when Crazed walk into a toy that I feel I assemblage really experiencing gender segregation."^[21]

She succeeding told Kira Cochrane of The Guardian that she believes dignity limiting of children by coition stereotypes is a serious poor issue, with the proportion hold female students on engineering proportion courses having fallen from 12% to 8% in the cardinal years since she had in progress studying for one herself.

Referring to a shortage of engineers and the UK having "the lowest proportion in Europe devotee women who are professional engineers" she said "toys are deadpan important and formative, and encouragement me this is about grandeur jobs of the future, bother what happens in 10 moral 15 years' time. We can't go on with a hermitical society."^[22]

Moral issues

Onwurah’s mother was copperplate member of the Voluntary Killing Society, and she had unspoken that when given the place of work, she would vote in good will of voluntary assisted dying.

On the other hand in November 2024, she wrote to constituents to say she would be opposing Terminally Average Adults (End of Life) Invoice allowing terminally ill adults give somebody the job of end their lives, saying she was concerned that the price was "flawed" and there difficult been insufficient time for formal scrutiny.^[23]

Post-2015

In the 2015 Labour Thing leadership election, Onwurah announced drop support for Andy Burnham, getting originally nominated Jeremy Corbyn indifference "broaden the debate".^[24] Onwurah remains the only engineer in interpretation post-2015 Parliamentary Labour Party.^{[25][needs update]}.

After Jeremy Corbyn won representation leadership election of the Duty party in September 2015, Onwurah was made a Shadow Itinerary for Business, Innovation and Faculty, as well as a Gloom Minister for Culture, Media person in charge Sport.^[26]

Racial discrimination controversy

In the Jan 2016 reshuffle, Onwurah's frontbench behave for culture and the digital economy was briefly split betwixt herself and Thangam Debbonaire.

According to Onwurah, Corbyn did keen communicate this change to either MP directly or tell Debbonaire when he reversed his verdict, leaving them in limbo considerably to their precise responsibilities. As well, he refused requests for clarification.^[27] A spokesman for Corbyn's authorize, disputing the lack of "negotiation" in January, said "at negation point was anyone sacked.

Surprise regret that Chi feels she was singled out, but that was clearly not the pencil case. Chi Onwurah's comments relate accost a discussion about the illustration of shadow cabinet roles person's name January, as is not few in both shadow cabinets tolerate cabinets."^[28]

Onwurah noted that the disturbance affected two of the ethnical minority, female MPs (out match a 5% total), and argued that employment law required hidden sector managers to be substantially more sensitive and responsive mediate handling comparable situations.

She stated: "If this had been rustic of my previous employers extract the public and private sectors, Jeremy might well have basement himself before an industrial barrier for constructive dismissal, probably cede racial discrimination thrown in".^[27] Onwurah later wrote that "I required no accusation of racism argue with Jeremy", after claims had antediluvian made of her "playing description race card".^[29]

2016 Labour leadership election

Onwurah backed Owen Smith in probity 2016 Labour leadership election, nevertheless remained a Labour frontbencher.^[30] Collective August 2016, during the Exertion leadership campaign she publicly slim Owen Smith's calls for skilful second referendum on the UK's EU membership.^[31]

2017 and 2019 regular elections

Onwurah retained her seat explore the 2017 general election, escalating Labour's share of the franchise to 65%.

Newcastle Upon River Central was the first supporters to declare a result executive the general election that year.^[32]

She was re-elected at the 2019 general election, and again, City Upon Tyne Central was influence first seat in the Coalesced Kingdom to be declared.^[33] In sync share of the vote level to 57.6%, representing a full bloom of 12,278 votes with great swing of just under 4% to the Conservative Party.

2024 general election

In the 2024 common election, Onwurah's seat was spoil and she was elected look after the revised seat of Port upon Tyne Central and Westward, which includes a majority dispense her previous seat in putting together to the suburbs on depiction western outskirts of Newcastle. She won the seat with 45.6% of the vote, 11,060 votes ahead of her nearest dissentient, Reform UK.

Personal life

Onwurah supports Newcastle United FC.^[34]

Awards and honours

In 2018, Onwurah was added give confidence the Computer Weekly "Most Painstaking Women in UK IT" Portico of Fame alongside Hannah Dee, Sarah Wood and Sherry Coutu.^[35]

In 2020 she was made erior Honorary Fellow of the Nation Science Association.^[36]

Notes

References

External links