Anum Qaisar

Anum Qaisar,[1] previously Anum Qaisar-Javed[5] (born 11 September 1992) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Airdrie and Shotts since 2021.[6] She has been SNP Spokesperson for Levelling Up since 2023.[7]

Anum Qaisar
MP
Official portrait, 2021
SNP Spokesperson for Levelling Up in the House of Commons
Assumed office
4 September 2023
LeaderStephen Flynn
Preceded byChris Stephens
Member of Parliament
for Airdrie and Shotts
Assumed office
13 May 2021[1]
Preceded byNeil Gray
Majority1,757 (8.0%)[2][3]
Personal details
Born (1992-09-11) 11 September 1992[4]
Scotland
Political partySNP
Other political
affiliations		Labour (until 2014)
Alma materUniversity of Stirling

Early life

Qaisar was born to a Scottish Pakistani family,[8] and raised in Motherwell, where her parents were shopkeepers.[4] Her grandfather had emigrated from Pakistan to Manchester in the 1950s.[9]

She described her first experience of racism aged nine, when she was waiting at a bus stop after school on the day after the 11 September attacks in New York, her ninth birthday, and was asked, "Why is your skin colour the same colour as mud, as poo? Is your dad a terrorist?"[8]

She studied politics at the University of Stirling. She is separated/divorced from her husband who is a Doctor .[4]

Career

Born in Scotland[4] and brought up in a Labour-supporting family, Qaisar was once an active member of Scottish Labour and became general secretary of Muslim Friends of Labour.[10] However, she campaigned for a "Yes" vote at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and after the result produced a victory for the "Better Together" campaign, she left Labour and joined the SNP.[10]

Qaisar later worked a parliamentary researcher for Carol Monaghan MP, and as a case-worker for then-Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf.[4]

In 2015, Qaisar unsuccessfully stood to be selected as the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Eastern at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, finishing second to Ash Denham.[11]

Prior to entering the Commons, she was a Modern Studies teacher at Boroughmuir High School and George Watson's College in Edinburgh, the latter where pupils' parents pay fees of up to £13,551 a year.[12][4][6][8] She taught her students about why people from minority backgrounds are under-represented in politics; citing a lack of role models.[13]

In April 2021, Qaisar was selected as the SNP candidate for the 2021 Airdrie and Shotts by-election. The election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting SNP MP Neil Gray to stand at the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

On 14 May 2021, Qaisar won the election, becoming Scotland's second female Muslim MP[3][6] after Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, also of the SNP, and just like Qaisar a former member of the Labour Party.[14] Turnout was an unusually low 34.3%, and while Qaisar increased the SNP's share of the vote, her majority of 1,757 votes (8.0%) was lower than Neil Gray had won at the 2019 UK general election.[3] After her victory, Qaisar pledged to be a role model for other minorities[13] and to "fight for independence".[2]

Parliament

Qaisar took her seat in the House of Commons on 17 May 2021.[15]

She made her maiden speech in the Commons on 19 May. She complained that the House of Commons was more 'rowdy' than her former school pupils, and reported being told by staff that the best way to navigate the building was to 'get lost'.[16] She ended on a serious note that in the current COVID-19 crisis the NHS had relied on migrant staff, criticising the UK's point-based immigration policy, which she said would even have excluded her own father (if it had been in place at the time) and deprived the country of an MP, a doctor and a medical student (herself and her siblings).[16] In a question session with Dominic Cummings on 26 May 2021, she asked if her former Modern Studies students were more aware of COVID-19 border control benefits than the Government.[17]

Following racist abuse of Black English footballers, after the UEFA Euro 2020 Final,[18] during Business Questions to the Leader of the House, Qaisar shared some of the racist abuse she had endured on social media in asking for an urgent debate on 'real action' to end racism in this country, so that "MPs of colour" can speak.[19] Jacob Rees-Mogg, then-Leader of the House of Commons, said 'the House' sympathised but did not confirm a debate, directing his criticism at the social media.[20] In November 2021, she questioned the value of the House of Lords, describing it as 'an unelected crony-stuffed second chamber'.[21] In December 2021, she was given a frontbench role in trade.[22]

See also

References
  1. "Ms Anum Qaisar". members.parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  2. Flockhart, Gary (14 May 2021). "Airdrie and Shotts by-election: SNP's newest MP Anum Qaisar-Javed 'proud' to be a role model for minorities". Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. Brooks, Libby (14 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed holds Airdrie seat for SNP in byelection". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. Ferguson, John (4 October 2020). "Teacher bids to become Scotland's first female Muslim MSP in action plan to tackle racists". Daily Record. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  5. "Anum Qaisar-Javed MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  6. "SNP holds Airdrie and Shotts seat in by-election". BBC News. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  7. "SNP announces frontbench reshuffle at Westminster". BBC News. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. Rodger, Hannah (19 April 2021). "SNP election candidate Anum Qaisar-Javed on Ramadan, racism and role models". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  9. Paterson, Kirsteen (24 September 2020). "Former Labour activist Anum Qaisar-Javed bids for SNP selection in Uddingston". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  10. Paterson, Kirsteen (11 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed: SNP Westminster hopeful 'not complacent' despite party win". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  11. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/snp-picks-wfi-campaigner-fight-macaskill-seat-1496530%7Cdate=29 August 2015
  12. Gordon, Tom (24 June 2021). "New SNP MP Anum Qaisar-Javed taught at private school after vowing to fight inequality". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. "New SNP MP 'proud' to be a role model for minorities". STV News. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  14. "Scotland's first Muslim woman MP aims to represent all Muslims in UK". Daily Sabah. Istanbul. Anadolu Agency. 2 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  15. Fullarton, Ciara (17 May 2021). "Anum Qaisar-Javed: New SNP MP takes seat in House of Commons". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  16. McKenzie, Lewis (19 May 2021). "New MP urges UK to devolve immigration in maiden speech". STV News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  17. Rodger, Hannah. "SNP MP says '13-year-old weans from Edinburgh' understood Covid border control more than PM". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  18. Jamieson, Alastair (12 July 2021). "Saka, Sancho and Rashford racially abused online after England defeat". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  19. "SNP MP details racist online abuse in call for 'real action'". STV News. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  20. Garton-Crosbie, Abbi (16 July 2021). "'Tories set out a false narrative on race based on prejudice'". The National. Glasgow. pp. 4–5. ISSN 2057-231X.
  21. Webster, Laura (24 November 2021). "House of Lords 'provides excellent value for money', Tory minister insists". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  22. Paterson, Kirsteen (14 December 2021). "SNP announces new frontbench team as Westminster leaders re-elected". The National. Glasgow. ISSN 2057-231X. Retrieved 15 December 2021.


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