Still too white.

[TheBigotBasher]

This Parliament sees an increase in the number of MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds from 14 to 27. This is still unrepresentative of the UK population but is a considerable improvement on recent years.

In numbers
8 per cent of the UK is of a black or minority ethnic (BME) background
4.6 per cent of the 2010 intake has a BME background
2 per cent of the 1997 intake had a BME background

11 Conservative MPs have a BME background
13 Labour MPs have a BME background
0 Liberal Democrats have a BME background

Dr. Krishna Sarda, CEO of the Ethnic Minority Foundation (EMF), welcomed the increase in the number of MPs from BME backgrounds. He told Total Politics: “It represents significant progress comparatively to 2005. Since 1997 there have been a number of key milestones for BME communities in politics.”

Dr Sarda credits the Labour Party for the initial progress made, pointing to a number of firsts since 1997: the first Muslim MP, first black cabinet minister, first black leader of the Lords, first black and female Attorney General, first Asian and Muslim minister to attend cabinet, first Asian minister in the Commons and first black female minister in the Commons.

There are a number of firsts in this Parliament too, including the election of the first female Muslim MPs (three, and all Labour), the first black female Conservative MP (Helen Grant), the first Asian female Conservative MP (Priti Patel) and the first African female MP (Labour’s Chinyelu Onwurah).

http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/index.php/2010/05/12/the-new-parliament-ethnic-make-up

[fedsron2us]

1. Still too upper and middle class

How many ethnic minority members of Parliament are from working class backgrounds ?

Or does not class effect them ?

[LeftishBrit]

2. Don't know about all of them, but I'm pretty sure that Rushanara Ali, the new MP for Bethnal Green

and Bow, comes from a working-class background.

Of course, once they're MPs (and usually once they're in any position to become MPs), they're all upper/middle class anyway.

[LeftishBrit]

3. What surprises me...

is that there are 11 ethnic-minority Tories! Not to mention, according to another article I read, 10 openly-gay Tory MPs.

A minority group member supporting the Conservative Party is like a turkey supporting the Christmas Party.