Chi Onwurah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Chi Onwurah
|
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024
|
|||||||||||||||
| Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee | |||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 11 September 2024 |
|||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Greg Clark | ||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West Newcastle upon Tyne Central (2010–2024) |
|||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jim Cousins | ||||||||||||||
| Majority | 11,060 (26.7%) | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 April 1965 Wallsend, Northumberland, England |
||||||||||||||
| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
|
||||||||||||||
Dame 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. She is a member of the Labour Party.
As an MP, Chi Onwurah has held important roles. She was a "shadow minister" for different areas like science, innovation, and digital technology. A shadow minister is part of the opposition party and checks the work of the government ministers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Chi Onwurah was born on 12 April 1965 in Wallsend, England. Her mother was from Newcastle, and her father was from Nigeria. They met when her father was studying to be a dentist in Newcastle.
When Chi was a baby, her family moved to Nigeria. However, a war broke out there, and her mother had to bring Chi and her siblings back to England. Her father stayed in Nigeria to serve in the army.
Chi went to Kenton School in Newcastle. She later studied electrical engineering at Imperial College London, graduating in 1987. She also earned a master's degree in business (an MBA) from Manchester Business School.
Before becoming an MP, Chi worked in technology. She developed computer hardware and software. She also worked in different countries like the UK, France, the United States, Nigeria, and Denmark. She was even in charge of telecoms technology at Ofcom, which is a UK communications regulator.
Political Journey
Before becoming an MP, Chi Onwurah was involved in important campaigns. She was active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement, which fought against unfair racial segregation in South Africa. She also worked with its follow-up group, ACTSA.
Becoming an MP
In 2010, Chi Onwurah was elected as the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central. She took over from Jim Cousins, who had been the MP for 23 years. She won with a large number of votes.
Chi found Parliament to be a very different place from her engineering career. However, she noted that Parliament was more diverse and had more women than her previous workplaces.
Working as a Shadow Minister
After being elected, Chi Onwurah became a junior shadow minister for Business, Innovation, and Skills in 2010. This meant she helped the Labour Party develop its ideas for these areas.
In 2013, she took on a new role as a Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office. Here, she focused on important topics like online safety (cyber security) and how the government can be more open with its information.
Standing Up for Gender Equality
Chi Onwurah has spoken out about how toys are marketed to children. In 2014, she led a discussion in Parliament about gender-specific toy marketing. She supported the "Let Toys Be Toys" campaign, which encourages toy companies to market toys to all children, regardless of gender.
She explained that even though she worked in engineering, which was mostly male, she felt the most gender separation in toy shops. She believes that limiting children with gender stereotypes can affect their future job choices. She pointed out that fewer women are studying engineering now than when she did.
Views on Important Issues
Chi Onwurah has also shared her thoughts on difficult topics. In 2024, she decided to vote against a bill that would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives. She explained to her constituents that she felt the bill had problems and needed more discussion in Parliament.
After 2015
Chi Onwurah is known for being the only engineer in the Labour Party in Parliament after the 2015 election.
She continued to serve as a shadow minister, covering areas like Business, Innovation, Skills, Culture, Media, and Sport.
Discussing Workplace Issues
In 2016, there was some confusion about her role as a shadow minister. Chi Onwurah felt that the way the changes were handled was not clear. She mentioned that if it had been a private company, the situation might have been handled differently.
Supporting a Second EU Referendum
In 2016, during a Labour Party leadership campaign, Chi Onwurah publicly supported the idea of having another public vote on whether the UK should remain in the European Union.
Recent Elections
Chi Onwurah kept her seat in the 2017 United Kingdom general election. She even increased the number of votes for the Labour Party in her area. Her constituency, Newcastle Upon Tyne Central, was the first to announce its election results that year.
She was re-elected in the 2019 United Kingdom general election. Again, her constituency was the first in the UK to declare its results.
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, her old constituency was changed. She was then elected for the new seat of Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West. She won this seat with a strong lead over her opponents.
Personal Life
Chi Onwurah is a fan of the football team Newcastle United FC.
Awards and Recognition
In 2018, Chi Onwurah was recognized for her influence in technology. 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 is a special title given to people who have made important contributions to science.
In 2025, Chi Onwurah was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This is a high honour given for her work in politics and public service.
