Labour Party Achieves Landslide Victory in UK General Election on July 4, 2024

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The Labour Party has achieved a landslide victory in the UK general election held on July 4, 2024, sweeping hundreds of seats across the country and ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Among the victorious candidates were several of Nigerian descent, with six out of thirty contesting candidates winning seats in Parliament.

The Labour Party secured the highest number of seats, gaining a majority in Parliament.

Successful Nigerian-Descent MPs:

Bayo Alaba
Born and raised in Forest Gate, East London, Bayo Alaba is a Board Trustee for the Phoenix Resource Centre, a prominent charity operating in the UK and abroad. Alaba won the Newcastle seat for the Labour Party, garnering 15,395 votes against Conservative candidate Gavin Haran, who received 11,368 votes. He is a Labour Councillor, former Parachute Regiment soldier, school governor, youth mentor, charity trustee, and one of the pioneers of East London’s creative economy. Alaba, who is married with three children, has over two decades of experience in community and voluntary service. During his campaign, he sent a strong message to Westminster: “You can’t hold Southend back any longer!” Alaba is currently serving as the first Black councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge.

Kemi Badenoch
Born on January 2, 1980, in Wimbledon, London, Kemi Badenoch is one of three children of Nigerian Yoruba parents, Femi and Feyi Adegoke. The British-Nigerian politician retained her seat in North West Essex in a tight race. Although the Conservative Party did not perform well in this general election, Badenoch remains a significant figure, serving as the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet. She received 19,360 votes – 35.6% of the total votes, a decrease of 26.1% from her previous majority. Badenoch has served as the MP for Saffron Walden since 2017. Her father, Femi Adegoke, is a GP, and her mother, Feyi Adegoke, is a professor of physiology. Badenoch spent her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and the United States, where her mother lectured. She returned to the UK at age 16 to live with her mother’s friend. Despite being born in the UK, Badenoch, during her parliamentary maiden speech, described herself as “to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant.”

Taiwo Owatemi
Born on July 22, 1992, Taiwo Owatemi grew up in Plumstead. Raised by her nurse mother after her father died when she was six, Owatemi first entered the UK Parliament in 2019. The former MP of Nigerian descent won the Coventry North West seat for the Labour Party, securing 19,696 votes to beat her main rival, Tom Mercer of the Conservative Party, who received 8,522 votes. Owatemi holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kent and is a qualified pharmacist who practiced with the NHS Trust before entering politics. In December 2023, she announced the birth of her first child, a daughter. Owatemi served as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from September 2021 to September 2022. She is a member of Labour Friends of Israel and was part of a delegation that traveled to the country in February 2023.

Chi Onwurah
Born on April 12, 1965, in Wallsend, Chinyelu Susan “Chi” Onwurah attended Kenton School in Newcastle and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London. The British politician of Nigerian descent, who has been a member of the Labour Party since 2010, was re-elected as MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West. Onwurah secured 18,875 votes on July 4 as the Labour Party achieved a significant victory in this election, unseating the Conservatives. Before the election, she served as the Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy.

Florence Dauta Eshalomi
Born on September 18, 1980, Florence Eshalomi is a British politician of Nigerian descent who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall from 2019 until the seat was abolished in 2024. Eshalomi, née Nosgbe, is a member of the Labour and Co-operative parties. She was a Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021. Eshalomi won the election as the MP for the newly created Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency in the 2024 general election. She is the first member of her family to attend university, graduating with a BA Hons in Political & International Studies with Law from Middlesex University. Eshalomi secured a total of 21,528 votes in the 2024 elections.