Chi Onwurah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chi Onwurah
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee | |||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 11 September 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Greg Clark | ||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West Newcastle upon Tyne Central (2010–2024) |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Cousins | ||||||||||||||
| Majority | 11,060 (26.7%) | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | 12 April 1965 Wallsend, Northumberland, England |
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| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||
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Chi Onwurah (born 12 April 1965) is a British politician. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West since 2024. Before that, she was the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central from 2010 to 2024. Chi Onwurah is a member of the Labour Party.
She has also served as a "shadow minister" for different areas. A shadow minister is an MP who is part of the main opposition party. They watch over a specific government department and suggest different ideas. It's like being on a practice team, ready to take over if their party wins the next election.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Chi Onwurah's mother was from Newcastle, England. Her father was from Nigeria. They met and married in the 1950s while her father was studying to be a dentist.
Chi Onwurah was born on 12 April 1965 in Wallsend, England. When she was a baby, her family moved to Nigeria in 1965. However, a war broke out there two years later. This war caused a lot of hunger. Her mother had to bring Chi and her siblings back to England. Her father stayed in Nigeria to be part of the army.
Chi Onwurah went to Kenton School in Newcastle. In 1987, she finished her degree in electrical engineering at Imperial College London. After university, she worked in technology. She helped develop computer hardware and software. She also managed products and helped companies grow in different countries. These included the UK, France, the United States, Nigeria, and Denmark. During this time, she also earned a business degree (an MBA) from Manchester Business School.
Before becoming an MP, Chi Onwurah worked for Ofcom. This is a UK government agency that regulates communications. She was in charge of telecoms technology, especially focusing on how broadband internet was provided.
Political Journey
Before she became an MP, Chi Onwurah was very active in social movements. She worked with the Anti-Apartheid Movement. This group fought against unfair racial segregation in South Africa. She also joined the advisory board of the Open University Business School.
Becoming an MP
Chi Onwurah was first chosen as an MP in the 2010 general election. She represented the area of Newcastle upon Tyne Central. She took over from Jim Cousins, who had been the MP for 23 years. She said that Parliament was a "culture shock" compared to her engineering background. However, she also found it to be a very diverse workplace.
She supported Ed Miliband when he became the leader of the Labour Party in 2010. Miliband then made her a junior shadow minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. In 2013, she became a Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office. In this role, she focused on things like cyber security and open government.
Campaigning for Gender Equality
In 2014, Chi Onwurah led a discussion in Parliament about how toys are marketed. She was concerned that toys were often aimed only at boys or only at girls. She supported the campaign called Let Toys Be Toys. This campaign encourages toy companies to market toys to all children, regardless of gender.
She believes that limiting children with gender stereotypes is a serious issue. She noted that fewer women were studying engineering. She said that toys are very important in shaping what children think they can do. She wants to see more women become professional engineers in the UK.
Later Political Roles
In 2015, Chi Onwurah supported Andy Burnham for the Labour Party leadership. After Jeremy Corbyn became the leader, she was made a Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills. She also became a Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport.
In 2016, she supported Owen Smith in another Labour leadership election. She also publicly supported the idea of a second public vote on the UK's membership in the European Union.
General Elections
Chi Onwurah kept her seat in the 2017 general election. Her party, Labour, received even more votes in her area. Newcastle Upon Tyne Central was the first area in the whole country to announce its election results that year.
She was re-elected again in the 2019 general election. Again, her area was the first to declare its results.
In the 2024 general election, her old constituency was changed. She was then elected for the new area called Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West. This new area includes most of her previous constituency. She won the seat with a good number of votes.
Personal Life
Chi Onwurah is a fan of the football team Newcastle United FC.
Awards and Recognition
Chi Onwurah has received several awards for her work.
- In 2018, she was added to the Computer Weekly "Most Influential Women in UK IT" Hall of Fame.
- In 2020, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association. This means she was recognized for her important contributions to science.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2024
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Onwurah at the 2016 Labour Party Conference
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Onwurah in 2017
