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Anum Qaisar

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Anum Qaisar-Javed
MP
Member of Parliament
for Airdrie and Shotts
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 May 2021[1]
Preceded byNeil Gray
Majority1,757 (8.0%)[2][3]
Personal details
Born
Anum Qaisar-Javed

(1992-09-11) 11 September 1992 (age 32)[4]
Political partySNP
Other political
affiliations		Labour (until 2014)
Alma materUniversity of Stirling

Anum Qaisar-Javed (born 11 September 1992) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Airdrie and Shotts since winning a by-election in May 2021.[5]

Early life

Qaisar-Javed was born to a Scottish Pakistani family,[6] and raised in Motherwell, where her parents were shopkeepers.[4] Her grandfather had immigrated to Manchester in the 1960s.[7]

She described her first experience of racism aged nine, when she waiting at a bus stop after school on the day after the 11 September attacks in New York, her ninth birthday, and was asked 'Why is your skin colour the same colour as mud, as poo? Is your dad a terrorist?'[6]

She studied politics at the University of Stirling and married a doctor.[4]

Career

Born in Scotland[4] and brought up in a Labour-supporting family, Qaisar-Javed was an active member of Scottish Labour and became general secretary of Muslim Friends of Labour.[8] She campaigned for a "Yes" vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and after that defeat she left Labour and joined the SNP.[8]

Qaisar-Javed later worked a parliamentary researcher for Carol Monaghan MP, and as a case-worker for Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf.[4]

Before becoming an MP, she was a modern studies teacher at the prestigious George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, where pupils' parents pay fees of up to £13,551 a year.[9][4][5][6] She taught her students about why people from minority communities are under-represented in politics, such as a lack of role models.[10]

In April 2021, Qaisar-Javed was selected as the SNP candidate for the 2021 Airdrie and Shotts by-election. The election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting SNP MP Neil Gray to stand in the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

On 14 May 2021, Qaisar-Javed won the election, becoming Scotland's second female Muslim MP[3][5] after Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.[11] Turnout was an unusually low 34.3%, and while Qaisar-Javed increased the SNP's share of the vote, her majority of 1,757 votes (8.0%) was lower than Neil Gray had won at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.[3] After her victory, Qaisar-Javed pledged to be a role model for other minorities[10] and to "fight for independence".[2]

Parliament

Qaisar-Javed took her seat in the House of Commons on 17 May.[12] She swore the required Oath of Allegiance, and had a moment of drama when her pen ran out of ink signing the oath.[13]

She made her maiden speech on 19 May. She made light-hearted remarks that the House of Commons was more 'rowdy' than her former school pupils, and reported being told by staff that the best way to navigate the building was to 'get lost'.[14] She ended on a serious note that in the current COVID-19 crisis the NHS had relied on migrant staff, criticising the UK's point-based immigration policy, which she said would even have excluded her own father (if it had been in place) and deprived the country of an MP, a doctor and a medical student (herself and siblings).[14] Her comments were criticised by Scottish Conservative activist John White, who noted that Scotland's Future, the SNP's 2013 white paper on Scottish independence, had proposed a points-based immigration system.[15] In a question session with Dominic Cummings on 26 May 2021, she asked if her former modern studies students were more aware of COVID-19 border control benefits than the Government.[16] Following racist abuse of black English footballers, after the European cup final,[17] during Business Questions to the Leader of the House. Qaisar-Javed shared some of the racist abuse she had endured on social media in asking for an urgent debate on 'real action' to end racism in this country, so that MPs of colour can speak.[18] Jacob Rees-Mogg the Leader said 'the House' sympathised but did not confirm a debate, directing his criticism at the social media.[19]

Personal life

Quisar-Javed lives with her husband and their pet parrot, Joey. She speaks English, Urdu and Punjabi and is attempting to learn Gaelic.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Anum Qaisar-Javed MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b Flockhart, Gary (14 May 2021). "Airdrie and Shotts by-election: SNP's newest MP Anum Qaisar-Javed 'proud' to be a role model for minorities". Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Brooks, Libby (14 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed holds Airdrie seat for SNP in byelection". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Ferguson, John (4 October 2020). "Teacher bids to become Scotland's first female Muslim MSP in action plan to tackle racists". Daily Record. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "SNP holds Airdrie and Shotts seat in by-election". BBC News. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Rodger, Hannah (19 April 2021). "SNP election candidate Anum Qaisar-Javed on Ramadan, racism and role models". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021.
  7. ^ Paterson, Kirsteen (24 September 2020). "Former Labour activist Anum Qaisar-Javed bids for SNP selection in Uddingston". The National. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  8. ^ a b Paterson, Kirsteen (11 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed: SNP Westminster hopeful 'not complacent' despite party win". The National. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  9. ^ Gordon, Tom (24 June 2021). "New SNP MP Anum Qaisar-Javed taught at private school after vowing to fight inequality". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021.
  10. ^ a b "New SNP MP 'proud' to be a role model for minorities". STV News. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Scotland's first Muslim woman MP aims to represent all Muslims in UK". Daily Sabah. Istanbul. Anadolu Agency. 2 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  12. ^ Fullarton, Ciara (17 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed: New SNP MP takes seat in House of Commons". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Newest SNP MP encounters issue during swearing-in ceremony at Westminster". The National. Glasgow. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  14. ^ a b McKenzie, Lewis (19 May 2021). "New MP urges UK to devolve immigration in maiden speech". STV News. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 21 May 2021 suggested (help)
  15. ^ Bickerton, James (20 May 2021). "SNP MP attacks Johnson's points-based immigration system – despite her party proposing it". Daily Express. London. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  16. ^ "SNP MP says '13-year-old weans from Edinburgh' understood Covid border control more than PM". The Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Saka, Sancho and Rashford racially abused online after England defeat". The Independent. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  18. ^ "SNP MP details racist online abuse in call for 'real action'". STV News. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  19. ^ Garton - Crosbie, Abbi (16 July 2021). "'Tories set out a false narrative on race based on prejudice'". The National. pp. 4–5.
  20. ^ "About Anum". Anum Qaisar-Javed MP.


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts
2021–present 		Incumbent
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