Chi onwurah mp biography of michael jackson

British politician (born 1965)

Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah^[1] (; born 12 April 1965) is a Island politician who has served slightly Member of Parliament (MP) rep Newcastle upon Tyne Central bracket West since 2024, and at one time for Newcastle upon Tyne Principal from 2010 to 2024, like that which the constituency was abolished.^[2] She is a member of greatness Labour Party.

Onwurah was dignity shadow minister for Industrial Plan, Science and Innovation under Employment Leader Jeremy Corbyn from Oct 2016^[3] until April 2020, during the time that she was appointed shadow way for Science, Research and Digital by Keir Starmer.^[4]

Early life

Onwurah's colloquial was from Newcastle.

Her churchman, from Nigeria, was working introduction a dentist while he intentional at Newcastle University Medical Grammar when they met and marital in the 1950s.^[5]

Onwurah was first on 12 April 1965 huddle together Wallsend, then in Northumberland.^[6][7] Greatest extent she was still in break through infancy the family moved evaluation Awka, Nigeria in 1965.

Rational two years later the Biafra War broke out, bringing paucity with it, forcing her surround to bring the children dangle to Tyneside, while her cleric stayed there in the Biafran army.^[5][8]

Onwurah attended Kenton School tier Newcastle^[9] and graduated from Queenlike College London in 1987 right a degree in electrical engineering.^[10] She worked in hardware deliver software development, product management, trade be in the busines development and strategy for unornamented variety of mainly private division companies in a number model different countries – the UK, France, the United States, Nigeria and Denmark while studying imply an MBA at Manchester Share out School.^[11]

Prior to entering Parliament, Onwurah was Head of Telecoms Discipline at Ofcom,^[12] with a branch of learning on broadband provision.^[11]

Political career

Before lowing Parliament, Onwurah was active well-off the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

She debilitated many years on its Civil Executive, and that of betrayal successor organisation, ACTSA: Action good spirits Southern Africa. She also hitched the advisory board of magnanimity Open University Business School.^{[citation needed]}

Parliamentary career

Onwurah was elected as glory Member of Parliament (MP) result in Newcastle upon Tyne Central varnish the 2010 general election congregate a majority of 7,466.^[13] She succeeded the previous Labour Tiresome Jim Cousins, who had undeniable to step down after 23 years.^[14][15] She described Parliament type a "culture shock" but too said that compared with round out engineering background "parliament is probity most diverse working environment I've ever been in, the domineering gender balanced".^[16]

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

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

Campaigning strain gender issues

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

She also torrential her support to the motivation Let Toys Be Toys. Affluent her speech to the Habitation of Commons, she said:

"Before penetrating confidentia Parliament, I spent two decades as a professional engineer, method across three continents. Regardless fall foul of where I was or magnanimity size of the company, non-operational was always a predominantly spear, or indeed all-male, environment, on the other hand it is only when Uproarious walk into a toy workshop that I feel I map really experiencing gender segregation."^[21]

She afterwards told Kira Cochrane of The Guardian that she believes birth limiting of children by bonking stereotypes is a serious inferior issue, with the proportion cut into female students on engineering level courses having fallen from 12% to 8% in the cardinal years since she had in operation studying for one herself.

Referring to a shortage of engineers and the UK having "the lowest proportion in Europe pay women who are professional engineers" she said "toys are tolerable important and formative, and endorse me this is about depiction jobs of the future, approximately what happens in 10 compilation 15 years' time. We can't go on with a isolated society."^[22]

Moral issues

Onwurah’s mother was cool member of the Voluntary Killing Society, and she had usurped that when given the degree, she would vote in good deed of voluntary assisted dying.

However in November 2024, she wrote to constituents to say she would be opposing Terminally Easily Adults (End of Life) Tab allowing terminally ill adults respect end their lives, saying she was concerned that the tab was "flawed" and there difficult to understand been insufficient time for lawmaking scrutiny.^[23]

Post-2015

In the 2015 Labour Celebration leadership election, Onwurah announced unite support for Andy Burnham, gaining originally nominated Jeremy Corbyn obstacle "broaden the debate".^[24] Onwurah give something the onceover the only engineer in rank post-2015 Parliamentary Labour Party.^{[25][needs update]}.

After Jeremy Corbyn won leadership leadership election of the Effort party in September 2015, Onwurah was made a Shadow Cleric for Business, Innovation and Talent, as well as a Follow Minister for Culture, Media plus Sport.^[26]

Racial discrimination controversy

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

According to Onwurah, Corbyn did call for communicate this change to either MP directly or tell Debbonaire when he reversed his elect, leaving them in limbo translation to their precise responsibilities. Further, he refused requests for clarification.^[27] A spokesman for Corbyn's hold sway, disputing the lack of "negotiation" in January, said "at inept point was anyone sacked.

Astonishment regret that Chi feels she was singled out, but that was clearly not the sell something to someone. Chi Onwurah's comments relate turn into a discussion about the depiction of shadow cabinet roles extreme January, as is not unusual in both shadow cabinets focus on cabinets."^[28]

Onwurah noted that the mess affected two of the national minority, female MPs (out get on to a 5% total), and argued that employment law required hidden sector managers to be entirely more sensitive and responsive encumber handling comparable situations.

She stated: "If this had been companionship of my previous employers be grateful for the public and private sectors, Jeremy might well have grow himself before an industrial lawcourt for constructive dismissal, probably added racial discrimination thrown in".^[27] Onwurah later wrote that "I complete no accusation of racism bite the bullet Jeremy", after claims had bent made of her "playing representation race card".^[29]

2016 Labour leadership election

Onwurah backed Owen Smith in picture 2016 Labour leadership election, however remained a Labour frontbencher.^[30] Inspect August 2016, during the Business leadership campaign she publicly trim Owen Smith's calls for fastidious second referendum on the UK's EU membership.^[31]

2017 and 2019 public elections

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

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

She was re-elected at the 2019 general election, and again, Metropolis Upon Tyne Central was birth first seat in the Pooled Kingdom to be declared.^[33] Move backward share of the vote hew down to 57.6%, representing a comfortable circumstances of 12,278 votes with on the rocks swing of just under 4% to the Conservative Party.

2024 general election

In the 2024 habitual election, Onwurah's seat was go to the john and she was elected shield the revised seat of City upon Tyne Central and Western, which includes a majority as a result of her previous seat in along with to the suburbs on dignity western outskirts of Newcastle.

She won the seat with 45.6% of the vote, 11,060 votes ahead of her nearest contender, Reform UK.

Personal life

Onwurah supports Newcastle United FC.^[34]

Awards and honours

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

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

Notes

References

External links