Tulip Siddiq facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tulip Siddiq
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017
|
|
| Economic Secretary to the Treasury City Minister |
|
| Assumed office 9 July 2024 |
|
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Chancellor | Rachel Reeves |
| Preceded by | Bim Afolami |
| Succeeded by | Emma Reynolds |
| Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 4 December 2021 – 5 July 2024 |
|
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Pat McFadden |
| Succeeded by | Alan Mak |
| Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years | |
| In office 7 January 2020 – 4 December 2021 |
|
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Tracy Brabin |
| Succeeded by | Helen Hayes |
| In office 9 October 2016 – 26 January 2017 |
|
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Jenny Chapman |
| Succeeded by | Tracy Brabin |
| Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate Hampstead and Kilburn (2015–2024) |
|
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Glenda Jackson |
| Majority | 13,970 (28.8%) |
| Camden London Borough Councillor for Regent's Park |
|
| In office 6 May 2010 – 22 May 2014 |
|
| Preceded by | Theodore Blackwell |
| Succeeded by | Nadia Shah |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tulip Rizwana Siddiq
16 September 1982 St Helier, London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Christian Percy
(m. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Tungipara Sheikh family (maternal family) |
| Residences | Barnet, London, England |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Politician |
Tulip Rizwana Siddiq (born 16 September 1982) is a British politician. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hampstead and Highgate since 2015. Before that, she represented Hampstead and Kilburn. She also served as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister starting in July 2024.
Before becoming an MP, she was a local councillor for Regent's Park in Camden London Borough Council from 2010 to 2014. Tulip Siddiq is also the niece of Sheikh Hasina, a former Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tulip Siddiq was born on 16 September 1982 in Sutton, London. Her father, Shafique Ahmed Siddique, was a professor, and her mother, Sheikh Rehana, sought political safety in the UK. They met and married in London in 1980. Tulip was born in St Helier Hospital in St Helier. She has an older brother, Radwan "Bobby" Mujib, and a younger sister, Azmina.
When she was 15, her family moved to Hampstead. She was raised as a Muslim and has spoken about her family embracing Britain's diverse culture. Growing up, she met important figures like Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton.
Tulip Siddiq attended schools such as The Royal School, Hampstead and Mill Hill School. She later studied English Literature at University College London. She then earned two master's degrees from King's College London, one in English and another in Politics, Policy, and Government.
Her maternal grandfather was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the first President of Bangladesh. Her mother's older sister, Sheikh Hasina, was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for many years.
Starting Her Political Journey
Tulip Siddiq joined the Labour Party when she was 16. She has said that the care her father received from the National Health Service (NHS) after he became ill inspired her to join politics. She admired former Labour minister Barbara Castle and described her mother and aunt as "very strong feminists."
She has worked for several important organisations, including Amnesty International and Save the Children. She also worked for Members of Parliament like Sadiq Khan. In 2008, she even helped with Barack Obama's election campaign in the U.S.
In 2010, she became the first Bangladeshi woman to be elected as a councillor for Camden London Borough Council. She was in charge of Culture and Communities until 2014.
In 2013, local Labour members chose her to run for Parliament in the Hampstead and Kilburn area. She campaigned on local issues, like trying to keep Belsize Fire Station open. She also worked to improve access for disabled people at West Hampstead tube station.
Tulip Siddiq also became a director at the Working Men's College and a trustee at the Camden Art Centre.
Her Time in Parliament
First Term (2015–2017)
In the 2015 general election, Tulip Siddiq was elected as the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn. She won with 44.4% of the votes.
Soon after, in June 2015, she became a vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism. This group works to fight prejudice against Jewish people. She also joined the Women and Equalities Select Committee, which looks at issues of fairness for women and other groups.
In September 2015, she wrote a letter with other MPs to the Prime Minister. They asked for urgent help for the refugee crisis caused by the Syrian Civil War. She also spoke out against changes to contracts for junior doctors. In October 2016, she became a Shadow Education Minister, focusing on childcare and early years education.
In January 2017, she stepped down from her role as Shadow Education Minister. This was because she disagreed with her party's decision to vote for triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, which started the process of leaving the European Union. About 75% of people in her area had voted to stay in the EU, and she felt she had to represent their views.
Second Term (2017–2019)
In the 2017 general election, Tulip Siddiq was re-elected as MP for Hampstead and Kilburn. She received even more votes this time, with 59% of the share.
In August 2017, she encouraged businesses to hire more people from different ethnic backgrounds. In September 2017, she became the head of a new group focused on childcare and early education. She also asked the Home Office to change children's passports. This was to make sure they included both parents' names, to avoid problems at airports. She had experienced this herself when travelling with her daughter.
In May 2018, she supported a campaign for equal pay, aiming to make sure everyone gets paid fairly for the same work. She also spoke out about events in Gaza, calling actions by the Israeli military "unjustified" and "inhumane." She said the protests were about the difficult conditions Palestinians faced and their right to return to their homes.
Third Term (2019–2024)
Tulip Siddiq was elected again in the 2019 general election. Her share of the vote was 48.9%.
Fourth Term (since 2024)
Due to changes in constituency boundaries, her old area of Hampstead and Kilburn was replaced by Hampstead and Highgate. In the 2024 general election, she was elected as the MP for Hampstead and Highgate. She won with 48.3% of the vote.
Other Activities
Tulip Siddiq has been involved in many community activities. She was a board member for the West Euston Partnership. She is also a governor for the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
She has held leadership roles in youth political groups, including for Young Labour and London Young Labour. She is a member of Unite the Union and the Co-operative Party. She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
She helped Camden's involvement with the 2012 London Olympics. This led to new programs to encourage more physical activities, like the Camden Sports Academy.
Tulip Siddiq has also served as a school governor at several primary schools. She is currently a governor at the Working Men's College in Camden. She also supports other local organisations, such as the Camden Arts Centre. She has written for the Hampstead and Highgate Express newspaper, often covering U.S. elections.
Recognition
In January 2013, Tulip Siddiq was named in the "British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration 100" list. In December 2014, The Guardian newspaper called her "one to watch" in British politics. In April 2015, The Sunday Times described her as one of the "rising stars" of the Labour Party.
Personal Life
Tulip Siddiq identifies as a Muslim, but describes herself as "more cultural than religious." In 2013, she married Christian Percy. They have two children: a daughter born in April 2016 and a son born in January 2019.
Just two days before her son was born, she attended Parliament in a wheelchair to vote on an important Brexit-related issue. On 29 January 2019, she made history by becoming the first MP to vote by proxy. This meant someone else could cast her vote for her because she had just given birth.
Since becoming an MP, she has spoken at Limmud, a Jewish learning festival, and attends synagogue events. In April 2019, she shared that a relative had died in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings.
Tulip Siddiq and her family live in East Finchley, London.
