Shabana Mahmood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shabana Mahmood
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Secretary of State for Justice Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain |
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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 2024, she has been the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. These are important roles in the UK government, overseeing the justice system.
She is a member of the Labour Party. Since 2010, she has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Ladywood. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons. Before 2024, when Labour was not in power, she held various "shadow" roles. These roles involve watching over government departments and suggesting different policies.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham on 17 September 1980. Her parents are Zubaida and Mahmood Ahmed. She also has a twin brother. For five years, from 1981 to 1986, her family lived in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Her father worked there as an engineer, helping to turn saltwater into fresh water.
After returning to Birmingham, Shabana attended Small Heath School. She also went to King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls. Her mother worked in a family-owned grocery shop. Her father was involved in the local Labour Party, and Shabana helped him with political campaigns when she was a teenager.
Even though politics was part of her life, Shabana's dream was to become a barrister. A barrister is a type of lawyer who represents people in court. She was inspired by a TV show about a lawyer.
University and Law Career
Shabana Mahmood studied law at Lincoln College, part of the University of Oxford. She finished her degree in 2002. She then completed a special course to become a barrister in 2003, after receiving a scholarship.
As a qualified barrister, she specialized in a type of law called professional indemnity. This involves helping people or companies when they are accused of making mistakes in their professional work. She worked at two law firms before becoming an MP.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 2010, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Clare Short, decided not to run for election again. Shabana Mahmood wanted to become the new Labour Party candidate. She won the vote among local party members.
In the 2010 general election, Shabana Mahmood was elected as the MP for Birmingham Ladywood. She received more than half of the votes. With her election, she became one of the first female Muslim MPs in the UK, alongside Rushanara Ali and Yasmin Qureshi.
Early Years in Parliament (2010–2015)
When Shabana Mahmood first became an MP, the Labour Party was the main opposition party. This meant they were not in government but worked to challenge the government's decisions. During this time, she held several "shadow" roles. These included:
- Shadow Minister for Prisons
- Shadow Minister for Higher Education (about universities and colleges)
- Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury (about money and taxes)
In the 2015 general election, Shabana Mahmood was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Ladywood. She won with an even larger share of the votes. After this election, she was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet. This is a group of senior MPs from the opposition party who mirror the government's cabinet. She became the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Time on the Backbenches (2015–2021)
In September 2015, a new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was elected for the Labour Party. Shabana Mahmood decided to step down from her Shadow Cabinet role. She disagreed with some of his economic ideas.
She was offered a place in his Shadow Cabinet again but chose not to join. She spent several years as a "backbencher." This means she was an MP who was not part of the government or the Shadow Cabinet. She still worked hard for her local area and spoke out on issues she cared about.
In 2017 and 2019, Shabana Mahmood was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Ladywood in general elections.
Return to the Frontbench (2021–2024)
In May 2021, Shabana Mahmood returned to the Shadow Cabinet. The new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, appointed her as the Labour Party National Campaign Coordinator. In this role, she helped organize and improve the party's election campaigns.
In September 2023, Keir Starmer gave her a new role. She became the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor. This meant she was responsible for watching over the government's justice department.
In the 2024 general election, Shabana Mahmood was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Ladywood.
Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor (2024–Present)
On 5 July 2024, after the Labour Party won the general election, Keir Starmer appointed Shabana Mahmood as the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. This was a very important moment. She became the first Muslim and the second woman in history to hold the title of Lord Chancellor. The first woman was Liz Truss in 2016.
One of her first big tasks was to deal with overcrowding in prisons. She said the situation was very serious. To help, she announced a plan to release some prisoners earlier than planned. She said this would help reduce the number of people in prisons.
Political Views
Supporting Palestinian Rights
Shabana Mahmood has stated on her website that she strongly supports Palestinian rights. In 2014, she took part in a protest outside a shop. She said they wanted to show they disagreed with the shop selling goods from certain areas.
Views on Gender Issues
In 2019, Shabana Mahmood spoke about teaching LGBTQ+ topics in schools. She said that schools should consider the religious backgrounds of students and what is suitable for their age.
In 2024, she also spoke about how some women who believe that biological sex is real are treated. She said she agrees with the view that biological sex is a fixed fact. She also said that women should not lose their jobs for expressing these views.
Personal Life
Shabana Mahmood is a devout Muslim. She has said that her faith is very important to her and guides her in public service and daily life. She lives next door to her parents.
On 6 July 2024, she became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important people who advise the King. Being a member means she can use the title "The Right Honourable."
Images for kids
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Mahmood (centre) at her swearing in as Lord High Chancellor, alongside Sarah Sackman as Solicitor General and Richard Hermer as Attorney General, on 15 July 2024
