Shabana Mahmood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shabana Mahmood
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Assumed office 5 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alex Chalk | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Clare Short | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 3,421 (9.4%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 September 1980 Small Heath, Birmingham, England |
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| Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Shabana Mahmood (born 17 September 1980) is a British politician and lawyer. Since July 2024, she has served as the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. This means she is in charge of the justice system in England and Wales.
She is a member of the Labour Party. Since 2010, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Ladywood. An MP is someone elected to represent the people of a specific area, called a constituency, in the House of Commons.
Mahmood studied law at the University of Oxford and became a successful lawyer, known as a barrister. In 2010, she was elected to Parliament and became one of the first female Muslim MPs in the UK.
Before the Labour Party won the 2024 election, she held several important roles in the Shadow Cabinet. The Shadow Cabinet is a team of politicians from the main opposition party who "shadow" the government ministers. For example, she was the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, which prepared her for her current job.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham, England, on 17 September 1980. Her parents, Zubaida and Mahmood Ahmed, were originally from Mirpur in Pakistan. She has a twin brother.
From 1981 to 1986, her family lived in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Her father worked there as a civil engineer on projects to turn seawater into fresh drinking water. After returning to England, she grew up in Birmingham and went to Small Heath School and King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls.
Her father was very involved in local politics with the Labour Party, and Shabana often helped him campaign. Even though politics was a big part of her family life, her dream was to become a lawyer, inspired by the TV show Kavanagh QC.
Mahmood studied law at Lincoln College, Oxford. While there, she was elected president of the Junior Common Room (JCR), which is a student group that represents undergraduates. She later said that Rishi Sunak, who also became Prime Minister, was a student at the same college and promised to vote for her.
After graduating from Oxford in 2002, she trained to become a barrister at the Inns of Court School of Law in London. She worked as a lawyer specialising in a type of law called professional indemnity, which deals with mistakes made by professionals.
Political Career
Becoming an MP
In 2010, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Clare Short, decided to retire. Shabana Mahmood wanted to be the new Labour candidate for that area. She won the local party's vote to become the candidate.
In the 2010 general election, Mahmood was elected as the MP for Birmingham Ladywood. She, along with Rushanara Ali and Yasmin Qureshi, became one of the first female Muslim MPs in the United Kingdom.
From 2010 to 2015, the Labour Party was the main opposition party. During this time, Mahmood was given several important jobs as a "shadow minister." This meant she was responsible for challenging the government on topics like prisons and higher education.
Working in the Shadow Cabinet
After the 2015 general election, Mahmood was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This is a very senior role focused on the country's finances.
However, a few months later, Jeremy Corbyn was elected as the new leader of the Labour Party. Mahmood decided to step down from her role because she had strong disagreements with him about how to manage the economy. She chose to work as a regular MP, known as a "backbencher," for the next several years.
She was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Ladywood in the 2017 and 2019 elections with very large majorities.
Return to a Senior Role
In 2021, the new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, asked Mahmood to return to a senior role. She became the National Campaign Coordinator, helping to organise the party's election campaigns.
In September 2023, Starmer gave her another big promotion. She became the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor. This meant she was the Labour Party's main expert on the justice system.
Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor
After the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Mahmood as the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.
This was a historic moment. She became the first Muslim person and only the third woman to hold the ancient office of Lord Chancellor.
One of her first major tasks was to deal with overcrowded prisons. She described the situation as a "time bomb" and announced a plan to release some prisoners early to make prisons safer.
Following riots in the UK in 2024, Mahmood promised that anyone who took part in the violence or encouraged it would face "the full force of the law."
Political Views
Israel and Palestine
Shabana Mahmood is a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. In 2014, she took part in a protest to object to a supermarket selling goods from what she called "illegal settlements."
Social Issues
In 2019, Mahmood said that when schools teach about relationships, they should consider the "religious background" and "age" of the students.
In 2024, she said she was concerned about how some women were being treated for their views on gender. She stated that she agrees with the view that "biological sex is real and is unchangeable" and that women should not lose their jobs for saying so.
Assisted Dying
Mahmood is against changing the law to allow assisted dying. She has said that because of her Muslim faith, she believes in the value of human life and does not think the government should offer death as a service.
Personal Life
Mahmood is a "devout Muslim" and has said that her faith is very important to her. She says it is what motivates her to work in public service. She lives in Birmingham, next door to her parents.
Honours
In July 2024, Mahmood was made a member of the Privy Council. This is a special group of advisors to the monarch, and it allows her to use the title "The Right Honourable".
