British Sikh among Labour candidates

London, April 29

A British Sikh politician has been selected by the Opposition Labour Party as its candidate for the June 8 general election.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, known as Tan, hopes to become the first turban-wearing MP in the House of Commons by holding on to the Slough constituency, where previous Labour MP Fiona Mactaggart won by a majority of 7,336 (15.2 per cent) in the 2015 election.

“I am humbled to be selected as Labour’s candidate for Slough and hope to have the honour of serving the town where I was born and raised,” said Dhesi, currently local councillor for Gravesham.

His selection by the Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) yesterday attracted some controversy as it goes against the party’s policy to select women for seats previously contested by women candidates.

Mactaggart had announced her decision to step down earlier this month, along with a series of veteran Labour MPs who announced their decision not to contest in the next general election— PTI