| Introduction |
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| Community - Black Politicians | ||||||||
| Monday, 11 September 2006 05:42 | ||||||||
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The 11th June 1987 was a historic day for black politics. Four black MPs entered Parliament for the very first time. These trail blazers were Keith Vaz, Paul Boateng, Bernie Grant, and the first Black woman in British Parliamentary history, Diane Abbott. But while this was a historic day for the black Diaspora and its growing influence in British politics it was not the first time a black man or women had entered Parliament as an elected member. That accolade goes to a man called Dadabhai Nairoji who was elected to the borough of Finsbury in 1892. After him came two more black MP's Sir M.Bhownagree and Shapurji Saklatvala. After them it was not until 58 years later that another black MP entered Parliament-11th June 1987. Today things are better than in 1892 or 1987. Today we have 12 black MP's, councillors, and other key decision-makers, but in representation terms we have much further to go. Were Parliament to reflect the UK's diversity we should see 55 to 60 Black MP's on the green benches. For the time being and while we wait for a more equitable and representative democracy here are the biographies of the twelve MP's that are elected in the present day, former MP's and other past and present political figures from black and British history.
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