Tulip Siddiq among influential politicians in London

Bangladesh origin United Kingdom’s Labour Party lawmaker and Sheikh Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq. Photo taken from Facebook Meta
Bangladesh origin United Kingdom’s Labour Party lawmaker and Sheikh Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq. Photo taken from Facebook Meta

UK's Labour Party lawmaker and Sheikh Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq, of Bangladeshi origin, has been ranked on the list of most influential politicians in London this year.

Evening Standard, a London-based daily, has ranked her name in the Westminster “Progress 1000” list for 2019.

Tulip, granddaughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and niece of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has been listed along with British prime minister Boris Johnson, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, health secretary Matt Hancock and education secretary Gavin Williamson in the same category.

The newspaper publishes the list every year and includes the most influential individuals of London who contribute to the areas like business, technology, science, politics, design, culture and the arts.

“Tulip Siddiq, MP from Hampstead and Kilburn, made headlines around the world when she delayed her caesarian section to vote against Theresa May’s Brexit deal,” Evening Standard said in a citation.

It said “if she had not turned up in person, she would have lost her voting opportunity or relied on the unreliable “pairing” system. Her dramatic decision forced the Government to set up a landmark proxy voting system for expectant and new parents which is very important to us.”

She was first elected to Britain’s House of Commons in May 2015 from London’s Hampstead and Kilburn and drew global attention with her maiden speech in parliament.

Tulip had termed herself “a daughter of an asylum seeker” in the speech while describing her mother Sheikh Rehana’s ordeal, as she was looking for political shelter in London after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with most of his family members was killed on 15 August in 1975.