SPECIAL REPORT: Cameron, Four Nigerians Win In UK Election

Top left: Kate Osamor; top bottom: Chi Onwurah; middle: David Cameron; top right: Helen Grant; top bottom: Chuka Umunna.

In one of the most keenly contested general elections in British history, four Nigerians won seats to the British parliament, making it the first time such feat would be recorded

Against all odds, David Cameron has won his re-election bid in one of the fiercest polls in British history.

Cameron, Prime Minister of Britain, led the Conservatives to almost a landslide victory against the Labour Party – a development that forced arch-rival – Ed Miliband to step down as laeder of the Labour party and the head of the opposition. The leaders of the Lib Dems party Nick Clegg and UKIP Nigel Farage also resigned their posts.

GRAPHITTI NEWS/The Punch/Reuters report:

With the victory, Cameron returns to Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Ministers to continue with his work of massive reforms and making Britain greater.

But it is not only Cameron that has been left smiling following the announcement of winners – four politicians of Nigerian descent also tasted victory during the general elections in the Queen’s land.

Before Thursday’s keenly contested polls in Britain, not many within and outside it were familiar with Chuka Umunna, Helen Grant, Chi Onwurah and Kate Osamor. But by mid-day Friday, the four have almost become celebrities of sort after an elaborate media focus on them.

The four Nigerians won seats into the British parliament, making it the first time such would be happening in the highly conservative United Kingdom. While Umunna, a Labour Party politician who has served Streatham as Member of Parliament since 2010 and has enjoyed a meteoric political rise in recent years is a relatively known face outside Britain, the profile of the other three was largely unknown until Friday, a day after the keenly contested elections, even though Grant and Onwurah had been Members of Parliament over the last five years.

Chuka Umunna

Chuka Umunna of the Labour Party was re-elected to represent Streatham, after picking 53 percent (26,474) of the votes.

He was ahead of Kim Caddy of the Conservative Party who got 25 percent (12,540) and Amna Ahmad of the Liberal Democrats who got 9 percent (4,491).

In his parting words prior to the elections on his personal website, www.chuka.org.uk, Umunna said: “I was honoured to be elected as Member of Parliament for Streatham in 2010, and am proud to serve the community where I was born and grew up.”

The constituency covers Streatham and parts of Clapham, Balham, Tulse Hill and Brixton.

Born on October 17, 1978 to a Nigerian father – Bennett and British mother – Patricia, Umunna began his education at Hitherfield Primary School in Streatham, South London, and the Christ Church Primary School in Brixton Hill. He later moved to St. Dunstan’s College, Catford, Southeast London where he played the cello and became a respected prefect in the school.

Pursuing higher education, the eloquent Umunna bagged an upper second class in English and French Law from the University of Manchester before going to study for one term at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. He would later pick up an MA at the Nottingham Law School.

Umunna did not just get to the top all of a sudden – he slowly but vigorously climbed his way to the centerpiece of British politics. In 2002, after graduating from the university, the 37-year-old began working as a solicitor for Herbert Smith, a law firm based in the heart of London. Four years later he joined Rochman Landau, specializing in Employment Law.

However, he soon began writing and providing commentary on the Labour Party, as well as broader social and economic issues, usually in his capacity as a member of the Management Committee of the Labour-aligned Compass pressure group. He also wrote articles for the Financial Times, Tribune, The Voice, The Guardian and the New Statesman, and began to appear on various radio and television programmes as a commentator. Umunna would later go on to establish and edited an online political magazine, The Multicultural Politic.

In early April 2013, his law firm was linked to favourable updates made on his Wikipedia page in 2007, which included a reference to him being tipped as the “British Barack Obama”. Earlier in June 2010, he was elected a member of the Treasury Select Committee while in October of that year, he was appointed to serve as a Parliamentary Private Secretary and, in May 2011 rose to the position of Shadow Minister for Small Business and Enterprise until his promotion to the Shadow Cabinet.

Helen Grant

Helen Grant, another Nigerian, won the seat for Member of Parliament, representing Maidstone and The Weald, claiming 45 percent of the votes.

She is a British Conservative Party politician and solicitor and the current Minister for Sport, Tourism, and Equalities.

Grant, born on September 28, 1961, is a Conservative Party politician and solicitor who was first elected into the British parliament in 2010. By that feat, she became the first black woman to be selected to defend a Tory seat and the Conservatives’ first female black parliamentarian. She has served as Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities.

In September 2012, Grant received her first government appointment when she earned the dual roles of Under-Secretary of State for Justice and Under-Secretary for Women and Equalities. She was born in Willesden, North London to an English mother and Nigerian father but grew up with her mother’s family after her parents separated. She lived with her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Chi Onwurah

Chi Onwurah, British Labour Party politician and Newcastle’s first black MP, won the seat for New Castle upon Tyne Central, claiming 55 percent of the votes.

She has a Nigerian father and British mother.

Onwurah, born on April 12, 1965, is a Labour Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central. Onwurah is Newcastle’s first black MP.

During the depression of the 1930s, her maternal grandfather was a sheet metal worker in Tyneside shipyards. Her mother grew up in poverty in Garth Heads on Newcastle’s quayside. Her father, from Nigeria, was working as a dentist while he studied at Newcastle Medical School when they met and married in the 1950s.

After Chi’s arrival in 1965, her family moved to Anambra State when she was still a baby, only two years before the Nigerian Civil War. The situation forced her mother to take the children back to England while her father stayed back to fight for the Biafran army. She had been a strong voice in the parliament and her victory this time around only goes to confirm her rising reputation in British politics.

Kate Osamor

Kate Osamor won the seat for Member of Parliament, representing Edmonton in North London claiming 61 percent of the votes.

She is a British Labour Party politician and has worked for the NHS for over 15 years, and is currently working as a GP Practice Manager at an Enfield GP Surgery. A respected trade union activist and women’s charity trustee, she made funding the NHS and standing up to government cuts the main theme of her campaign.

Emerging one of the Labour Party’s shining lights during a generally poor election outing, Osamor was declared winner in the North London seat with 25,388 votes. Her closest rival, Gonul Daniels of the Conservative Party ended up with 9,969 votes, making it an overwhelming victory for her.

The triumph of the four parliamentarians is seen as a major boost to Nigeria’s international image especially at a time when leadership has also changed hands at the centre in the oil-rich country. The victory is also viewed as cheering news for Nigerians resident in the United Kingdom who are often the subject of racism and segregation in the highly conservative region.

Both of her parents are Nigerians.

Daily Independent noted that “The emergence of Africans of Nigerian origin in the new government is causing excitement across the country.

“If for no other reason, it appears Nigerians are feeling good over the possibility that the development would, no matter how minimally, constitute a contrast to the well-known opprobrium that accompanies Nigerians abroad.

“Very likely, the world may take note of Nigeria as a place that has produced great people in line with its official slogan – Great People, Great Nation – claims.

“Meanwhile, the victory of British Prime Minister, David Cameron, in Thursday’s poll has been hailed by Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan.

He congratulated Cameron and the Conservatives for their clear majority in parliament.” 

Leaders Congratulate Cameron On Win

World leaders queued up to congratulate David Cameron on his election victory, but amid the felicitations there were also hints of challenges to come on the international stage.

After a campaign fought almost exclusively along domestic lines, politicians and commentators abroad were assessing the impact of the Conservatives' win.

Thoughts turned in particular to Mr Cameron's promise to hold a referendum on the UK's EU membership, which he reaffirmed yesterday.

A spokesman for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was "looking forward to meeting Mr Cameron soon" and congratulated him on his victory.

Mr Juncker will examine in a "very polite, friendly and objective way" any proposals, ideas or requests that the UK puts forward.

However, his office also warned that principles such as freedom of movement were "non-negotiable", the BBC reported.

Manfred Weber, chairman of centre-right group the European People's Party, congratulated Mr Cameron.

He wrote on Twitter: "On the referendum, the ball is in Mr Cameron's court. He has to put his demands on the table. But EU freedoms will not be negotiable.

"We Europeans must also start thinking about whether it is time for a larger Treaty reform."

There was also a reminder of the deterioration in the relationship with Russia, which shows little sign of improvement.

In comments referred to on Twitter by Russian ambassador to Britain Alexander Yakovenko, a spokesman for the Kremlin insisted the relations were "frozen not by our fault", adding that they are " interested in mutually beneficial ties" with all nations, including the UK.

There were, however, plenty of fulsome congratulations for the Prime Minister.

They were led by US president Barack Obama, congratulating Mr Cameron on an "impressive electoral victory".

He said: "The special and essential relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is rooted in deep and abiding shared interests and values.

"I have enjoyed working closely with Prime Minister Cameron on a range of shared interests these last several years, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds between our countries, as we work together on behalf of global peace, security and prosperity."

Downing Street said the Prime Minister received a phone calls from French president Francois Hollande, who invited him to Paris for talks on the EU and international issues.

Italian premier Matteo Renzi called to salute an "incredible" result, No 10 said.

Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe tweeted to Mr Cameron: " Huge congratulations on your splendid victory in the general election."

Indian premier Narendra Modi and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu also offered their congratulations.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president attempting to mount a political comeback, tweeted: "Heartfelt congratulations to you @David_Cameron on your impressive victory."

The election result was leading news bulletins around the world.

It was the lead story on the websites of two of the leading newspapers in the US - the New York Times and the Washington Post.

The New York Times observed that the campaign had "centred primarily on domestic issues" such as austerity and the NHS, adding: "Mr Cameron had also played up fears that a Labour government, reliant on support from the Scottish nationalists, would drive the country leftward and risk the nation being splintered."

As well as announcing Voters Keep Cameron In Power, the Washington Post gave particular prominence to the SNP's stunning success with the headline: " Election results produce seismic shift in Scotland."

Much of the coverage abroad focused on the SNP's sweeping gains north of the border.

French newspaper Le Monde proclaimed nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon the "star of the campaign" and "the new Iron Lady of Scotland".

A commentator for German news magazine Der Spiegel described the result as "bad news for Europe".

Downing Street said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had called Mr Cameron to congratulate him on a "simply great" result.

The pair agreed to talk more soon and Mr Cameron said he was looking forward to the summit of the G7 group of major industrialized powers which Germany is hosting in Bavaria next month.

Downing Street later said that Mr Cameron took a call from Mr Obama, who told him he was "a great partner" and the US President was "thrilled to keep working together".

PM Turns Attention To New Ministers

David Cameron was spending the weekend drawing up lists of names of ministers in his new Government after the shock General Election result returned him to power at the head of a Conservative majority administration.

The Prime Minister moved swiftly to put a stamp of continuity on his new administration by reappointing Chancellor George Osborne, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Home Secretary Theresa May and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon to their old posts within hours of his reinstallation in 10 Downing Street.

He is expected to wait until Monday to complete his Cabinet and finalise more junior ministerial posts over the coming week.

The Prime Minister has a greater scope for patronage among Conservative MPs now that he no longer has to make space in his Cabinet for five Liberal Democrat MPs as well as a dozen or more in the lower ministerial ranks.

Mr Osborne's significance in the new administration was reinforced by his appointment as First Secretary of State - the ranking Cabinet minister and effectively number two to the PM.

The award of the title, previously held by William Hague, will fuel expectations that Mr Cameron will not appoint a Deputy Prime Minister to replace Nick Clegg.

Having increased Conservative ranks at Westminster to 331, securing a 12-vote absolute majority in the Commons, Mr Cameron will be preparing to push through his manifesto agenda in its entirety.

But he will be aware that he remains vulnerable to backbench Tory rebellions, which would only have to muster seven MPs to threaten him.

He must draw up a Queen's Speech for the State Opening of Parliament on May 27, which is likely to include measures to drive through the £30 billion austerity package - including £12 billion of welfare cuts - which Mr Osborne says is needed to eliminate the state deficit by 2017/18.

He will seek to press ahead with plans for the renegotiation of Britain's membership of the European Union in time for an in/out referendum in 2017.

Meanwhile, Mrs May made clear that reviving the Communications Data Bill - blocked by Lib Dems, who scorned it as a "snoopers' charter" - would be a "key issue" for her in her second term.

Jeremy Hunt - who was waiting to hear whether he would be reappointed Health Secretary - told Channel 4 News that the welfare cuts "have to start quite soon in order to deliver our deficit reduction plans", adding: "We've said we need to make significant cuts in the first two years of this Parliament."

He made clear he expected constitutional issues to take up a considerable proportion of Mr Cameron's effort during his second term after the PM called SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the evening after his victory to reiterate his commitment to "governing with respect" for Scotland and "implementing devolution".

"If you look at the big picture for the next five years, it's very significant that David Cameron chose to talk about Scotland and the United Kingdom both in his acceptance speech in his constituency and on the steps of Downing Street," said Mr Hunt.

"We have to think in a much more proactive way about how to bind our country together. We've taken it for granted for many years, we can't do that now with the changes we've seen north of the border.

"Since the advent of the Scottish Parliament in 1997, and maybe before that, we haven't had constitutional stability and we need that if you believe in the United Kingdom. I think that'll be one of the big things."