London: With question marks hanging over Keir Starmer’s future as UK Prime Minister over the Epstein scandal, rumours are high in the Westminister on his likely successors, including Foreign Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
As per reports, she is being increasingly viewed as a likely successor to Starmer. If she is elected, Mahmood will become the first Muslim Prime Minister of the UK. Earlier on Monday, Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned after his name cropped up in the Epstein files.
Who is Shabana Mahmood?
A 45-year-old lawmaker, Shabana Mahmood is a key ally of PM Keir Starmer. Within the Labour Party she is considered as a persuasive speaker. Born in Birmingham to Zubaida and Mahmood Ahmed, she has her roots in Pakistan and Murpur town of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
After being elected as the UK Home Secretary last year, she was given the task to mage the UK’s border security. Mahmood completed her law degree in 2002 from Lincoln College, Oxford. She then went on to complete the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law with an aim to become a barrister.
Mahmood became MP in 2010 for the first time
It was in 2010 that she became one of the first female Muslim MPs in the UK. Other female Muslim MPs with her were Rushanara Ali and Yasmin Qureshi.
Mahmood’s political record is considered extremely hardline, especially in the matter of immigration. She unveiled controversial plans to toughen the path of permanent residency in the UK. She had said that it was privileged, not right.
She continues to remain a frontrunner for the post, Mahmood also has tough competition from several Labour Party leaders. Among them were Angela Rayner, former deputy PM, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Greater Manchester mayor and Andy Burnham.