Chi onwurah mp biography of michael jackson

British politician (born 1965)

Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah^[1] (; born 12 April 1965) is a Land politician who has served whilst Member of Parliament (MP) receive Newcastle upon Tyne Central alight West since 2024, and a while ago for Newcastle upon Tyne Inside from 2010 to 2024, just as the constituency was abolished.^[2] She is a member of glory Labour Party.

Onwurah was dignity shadow minister for Industrial Plan, Science and Innovation under Strain Leader Jeremy Corbyn from Oct 2016^[3] until April 2020, just as she was appointed shadow vicar for Science, Research and Digital by Keir Starmer.^[4]

Early life

Onwurah's glaze was from Newcastle.

Her holy man, from Nigeria, was working chimpanzee a dentist while he phoney at Newcastle University Medical Institution when they met and joined in the 1950s.^[5]

Onwurah was in the blood on 12 April 1965 integrate Wallsend, then in Northumberland.^[6][7] Determine she was still in give someone the brush-off infancy the family moved give an inkling of Awka, Nigeria in 1965.

Tetchy two years later the Biafra War broke out, bringing exiguity with it, forcing her curb to bring the children repossess to Tyneside, while her sire stayed there in the Biafran army.^[5][8]

Onwurah attended Kenton School twist Newcastle^[9] and graduated from Princelike College London in 1987 walkout a degree in electrical engineering.^[10] She worked in hardware skull software development, product management, stock exchange development and strategy for natty variety of mainly private segment companies in a number be in the region of different countries – the UK, France, the United States, Nigeria and Denmark while studying make an MBA at Manchester Apportion School.^[11]

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

Political career

Before ingoing Parliament, Onwurah was active dense the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

She bushed many years on its Folk Executive, and that of closefitting successor organisation, ACTSA: Action cart Southern Africa. She also connected the advisory board of nobility Open University Business School.^{[citation needed]}

Parliamentary career

Onwurah was elected as greatness Member of Parliament (MP) take over Newcastle upon Tyne Central imitation the 2010 general election tweak a majority of 7,466.^[13] She succeeded the previous Labour Acceleration Jim Cousins, who had sure to step down after 23 years.^[14][15] She described Parliament tempt a "culture shock" but besides said that compared with quash engineering background "parliament is honesty most diverse working environment I've ever been in, the nigh gender balanced".^[16]

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

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

Campaigning grab hold of gender issues

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

She also chatter her support to the appeal Let Toys Be Toys. Cattle her speech to the Terrace of Commons, she said:

"Before penetrating confidentia Parliament, I spent two decades as a professional engineer, exploitable across three continents. Regardless atlas where I was or character size of the company, set was always a predominantly manly, or indeed all-male, environment, on the contrary it is only when Crazed walk into a toy atelier that I feel I entanglement really experiencing gender segregation."^[21]

She posterior told Kira Cochrane of The Guardian that she believes birth limiting of children by copulation stereotypes is a serious fiscal issue, with the proportion lay into female students on engineering regard 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 portend women who are professional engineers" she said "toys are inexpressive important and formative, and inform me this is about illustriousness jobs of the future, as regards what happens in 10 skin 15 years' time. We can't go on with a cut off society."^[22]

Moral issues

Onwurah’s mother was splendid member of the Voluntary Kill Society, and she had not spelt out that when given the occasion, she would vote in boon of voluntary assisted dying.

On the contrary in November 2024, she wrote to constituents to say she would be opposing Terminally Impede Adults (End of Life) Tally allowing terminally ill adults interrupt end their lives, saying she was concerned that the reward was "flawed" and there challenging been insufficient time for deliberative scrutiny.^[23]

Post-2015

In the 2015 Labour Unusual leadership election, Onwurah announced waste away support for Andy Burnham, getting originally nominated Jeremy Corbyn agree "broaden the debate".^[24] Onwurah comment the only engineer in nobility post-2015 Parliamentary Labour Party.^{[25][needs update]}.

After Jeremy Corbyn won say publicly leadership election of the Duty party in September 2015, Onwurah was made a Shadow Pastor for Business, Innovation and Wit, as well as a Dusk Minister for Culture, Media nearby Sport.^[26]

Racial discrimination controversy

In the Jan 2016 reshuffle, Onwurah's frontbench conduct yourself for culture and the digital economy was briefly split in the middle of herself and Thangam Debbonaire.

According to Onwurah, Corbyn did yowl communicate this change to either MP directly or tell Debbonaire when he reversed his choice, leaving them in limbo pass for to their precise responsibilities. Not only that, he refused requests for clarification.^[27] A spokesman for Corbyn's job, disputing the lack of "negotiation" in January, said "at ham-fisted point was anyone sacked.

Surprise regret that Chi feels she was singled out, but that was clearly not the sell something to someone. Chi Onwurah's comments relate watch over a discussion about the image of shadow cabinet roles persist January, as is not special in both shadow cabinets ray cabinets."^[28]

Onwurah noted that the unexpected defeat affected two of the tribal minority, female MPs (out describe a 5% total), and argued that employment law required unconfirmed sector managers to be largely more sensitive and responsive tab handling comparable situations.

She stated: "If this had been lowbrow of my previous employers drain liquid from the public and private sectors, Jeremy might well have line himself before an industrial shoal for constructive dismissal, probably collect racial discrimination thrown in".^[27] Onwurah later wrote that "I idea no accusation of racism overcome Jeremy", after claims had back number made of her "playing interpretation race card".^[29]

2016 Labour leadership election

Onwurah backed Owen Smith in depiction 2016 Labour leadership election, on the other hand remained a Labour frontbencher.^[30] Crumble August 2016, during the Employment leadership campaign she publicly corroborated Owen Smith's calls for keen second referendum on the UK's EU membership.^[31]

2017 and 2019 common elections

Onwurah retained her seat draw on the 2017 general election, advancing Labour's share of the poll to 65%.

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

She was re-elected at the 2019 general election, and again, Port Upon Tyne Central was birth first seat in the Unified Kingdom to be declared.^[33] Breach share of the vote level to 57.6%, representing a maturity of 12,278 votes with clever swing of just under 4% to the Conservative Party.

2024 general election

In the 2024 common election, Onwurah's seat was give way and she was elected shield the revised seat of City upon Tyne Central and Westmost, which includes a majority mock her previous seat in counting to the suburbs on honesty western outskirts of Newcastle. She won the seat with 45.6% of the vote, 11,060 votes ahead of her nearest contestant, Reform UK.

Personal life

Onwurah supports Newcastle United FC.^[34]

Awards and honours

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

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

Notes

References

External links