Miatta Fahnbulleh (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miatta Fahnbulleh
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities | |
| In office 6 September 2025 – 12 May 2026 |
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| Preceded by | The Lord Khan of Burnley (Faith, Communities and Resettlement) |
| Succeeded by | Nesil Caliskan |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers | |
| In office 9 July 2024 – 6 September 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Amanda Solloway |
| Succeeded by | Martin McCluskey |
| Member of Parliament for Peckham |
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| Assumed office 4 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Harriet Harman |
| Majority | 15,228 (39.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Miatta Nema Fahnbulleh
29 September 1979 Liberia |
| Political party | Labour Co-op |
| Spouse | Graham |
| Relations |
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| Children | 3 |
| Education | Beechwood Sacred Heart School |
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford (BA) London School of Economics (MA, PhD) |
| Profession | Developmental economist |
Miatta Nema Fahnbulleh, born on September 29, 1979, is a British-Liberian politician and an expert in economics. She is a member of the Labour Co-op political party. In the 2024 general election, she was chosen by voters to be the Member of Parliament (MP) for Peckham. This means she represents the people of Peckham in the UK Parliament.
Miatta Fahnbulleh also served in government roles. From 2025 to 2026, she was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities. Before that, from July 2024 to September 2025, she was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers. She is known for her slightly more progressive views within the Labour Party.
On May 12, 2026, Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned from her government position. She did this to support calls for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to step down after the 2026 local elections.
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Who is Miatta Fahnbulleh?
Miatta Nema Fahnbulleh is a British-Liberian politician and an expert in economics. She was born on September 29, 1979. She belongs to the Labour Co-op political party. In the 2024 general election, she was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Peckham. This means she represents the people of Peckham in the UK Parliament.
Miatta Fahnbulleh also held important roles in the government. From 2025 to 2026, she was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities. Before that, from July 2024 to September 2025, she served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers. She is known for her slightly more progressive ideas within the Labour Party.
On May 12, 2026, Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned from her government job. She explained that she was supporting calls for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to step down. This happened after the results of the 2026 local elections.
Her Early Life and Schooling
Miatta Fahnbulleh was born in Liberia on September 29, 1979. Her father, Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh, was a former Foreign Minister of Liberia. Her mother came from Sierra Leone. Miatta was named after her aunt, who is a singer also called Miatta Fahnbulleh. She also has a brother named Gamal.
When the First Liberian Civil War began in 1986, Miatta's family had to leave Liberia. They moved to England and asked for asylum, which means they sought protection in a new country.
Miatta went to Beechwood Sacred Heart School, a private school in Tunbridge Wells. After school, she studied philosophy, politics and economics at Lincoln College, Oxford. She earned her first university degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 2000.
Later, Miatta continued her studies at the London School of Economics. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in economic development in 2005. Her special research project was about how countries like Ghana and Kenya adopted and succeeded with industrial policies.
Before Becoming an MP
Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Miatta Fahnbulleh held several important jobs. From 2011 to 2013, she was the Head of Cities in a government department called the Cabinet Office. This role involved working on policies for cities.
She also worked as the director of policy and research at an organization called the IPPR from 2016 to 2017. After that, she became the Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation, a research group, from 2017 until December 2023. She was also a Policy Fellow at another research group called Labour Together.
In May 2022, Miatta Fahnbulleh received a special grant called MotheRED. This grant helps mothers who want to become candidates for the Labour Party in elections. In September 2022, she announced she wanted to be the Labour candidate for the Camberwell and Peckham area.
On November 19, 2022, local Labour Party members chose her as their candidate. She was selected to take over from Harriet Harman, who had been an MP for 40 years. Even before she was elected, a magazine called the New Statesman recognized her influence. In June 2024, they listed her as one of the 50 most influential people in progressive politics.
Miatta Fahnbulleh was also a regular guest on the BBC television show Question Time. On this show, people discuss current events and politics.
Her Time in Parliament
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Miatta Fahnbulleh was elected as the Member of Parliament for a new area called Peckham.
Soon after being elected, on July 9, 2024, she was appointed to a government role. She became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers. This job involved working on issues related to energy for people and businesses.
In a government change in 2025, called a cabinet reshuffle, she took on a new role. She became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Devolution, Faith and Communities. This role focused on how power is shared with local areas, and on matters of faith and community.
However, on May 12, 2026, Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned from her government position. She had been in Parliament for less than two years. She explained that she was supporting calls for Keir Starmer to step down as Prime Minister. This happened after the results of the 2026 United Kingdom local elections. News reports from BBC News mentioned that she is a supporter of Andy Burnham.
What Miatta Fahnbulleh Believes In
Miatta Fahnbulleh is a member of both the Labour and Co-operative parties. In terms of her political ideas, she is considered to be part of the "soft left" of the Labour Party. This means she holds views that are a bit more progressive within the party.
She has actively campaigned for urgent action to address the climate crisis. This means she believes it is very important to tackle climate change quickly. As an economist, she has described herself as a "heterodox economist." This means she likes to think about economic ideas in new and different ways, and she has suggested changes to the current economic system.
Her Family Life
Miatta Fahnbulleh is married to a person named Graham. Together, they have three children.
