Tamil Lady Appointed as Junior Minister in UK Cabinet
Ms Uma Kumaran has become the first Tamil lady to hold a junior minister post in the British Cabinet., according to media reports.
She was recently appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and as an Assistant Whip in the government of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
She has responsibility for Overseas Territories, the Caribbean, global technology and AI, violence against women and girls and departmental operations
Last year, she became the first MP for Stratford and Bow, a constituency in East London, and the first Tamil woman elected to the British Parliament. Then 36-year-old, she secured 19,145 votes in the parliamentary elections and pushed the Conservative Party candidate (3,144 votes) to fourth position.
Ms Uma’s family migrated to England in the 1980s to escape the brutal civil war in Sri Lanka that killed thousands of Tamils.
Her parents, originally from Jaffna in Sri Lanka, have strong links to trade unionism and public service, influencing her strong Labour values.
Born and raised in London, Ms Uma’s political journey includes working for health service professionals, as a parliamentary researcher and caseworker for Labour MP Dawn Butler, and serving as deputy director of Parliamentary Affairs for ex-Labour Party leader and ex-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
