Vote for good Sikh candidates in election(s)

[Guest Tanmanjeet Dhesi MP?]

As we all know there are no Sikhs in the British Parliament - a blatant testimony to Sikhs being marginalised at the expense of other minority groups.

If even the second strongest Sikh diaspora population has no political voice in 2017 it's very worrying for Sikh interests moving forward.

Tanmanjeet Singh represents the best chance Sikhs might have for even just one lone turbanned MP at Westminster - whilst in comparison there are ten Pakistani MP's (despite the Pakistani population being roughly double the Sikh one).

Hopefully local Sikhs support him and other MP's that have stood up for Sikh interests like Tom Watson and John McDonnell.

For the Sikh community in the UK to be punching at it's weight there should be at least 4 Sikh MP's in the British Parliament out of 650.

So the Sikh community still needs to lobby harder for Sikh candidates at local to ensure more than just a couple of MP's in June 2017.

 

British Sikh hopes to become first turban-wearing MP

PTI | Updated: Apr 29, 2017, 05.40 PM IST

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has been selected by the Labour Party as its candidate for the June 8 general election in UK.
2. If he wins, he will become the first turban-wearing MP in the House of Commons.
3. Tanmanjeet, known as Tan, will be hoping to hold on to the Slough constituency.

LONDON: A British Sikh local politician has been selected by the Opposition Labour Party as its candidate for the June 8 general election and hopes to become the first turban-wearing MP in the House of Commons.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, known as Tan, will be hoping to hold on to the Slough constituency, where previous Labour MP Fiona Mactaggart won by a majority of 7,336 (15.2 per cent) in the 2015 election.

"I am humbled to be selected as Labour's Parliamentary candidate for Slough and hope to have the honour of serving the town where I was born and raised," said Dhesi, currently local councillor for Gravesham.

His selection by the Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) Oon Friday attracted some controversy as it goes against the party's policy to select women for seats previously contested by women candidates.

Mactaggart had announced her decision to step down earlier this month, along with a series of veteran Labour MPs who announced their decision not to contest in the next general election.

"What we do know is Labour has selected a turban-wearing Sikh who has an excellent chance to become the first turban-wearing Sikh in the House of Commons and he will have our full support," the spokesperson said.

Preet Kaur Gill, a Labour Councillor in Sandwell, is hoping to become the first female Sikh MP after she was selected earlier this week to replace Gisela Stuart MP in Birmingham Edgbaston and will be defending a majority of 2,706 (6.6 per cent).

[S1ngh]

Please use non-gupt section for such postings. Thank you 

[Guest gupt KAUR]

also Jagmeet Singh from Basics of Sikhi is running to be MP of Wolverhampton, starting his own party - Panth Party. If you're in that area do vote for him