UK Lower House to include a woman of Indian-origin?

LONDON: The next House of Commons, the mother of modern parliaments, could for the first time have a woman of Indian origin as a member! Gifted a seemingly safe seat by the Conservative party — Witham in the county of Essex adjoining the British capital — Priti Patel (37) could be the one to make history.

A recent redrawing of boundaries means Witham is a new parliamentary constituency , carved out of segments from four rural electorates, three of which returned Conservative MPs and the other a Liberal Democrat. It’s estimated that Patel currently enjoys a 16% edge over her nearest rival.

What does she think about the prospect of becoming the first Indian origin woman to enter the Commons ? ‘‘ Its a strange feeling, not a reality,’’ she said. ‘‘ I find it extraordinary that an Indian origin woman hasn’t already been elected.’’ She said British Indian women are ‘‘ under-represented’ ’ in politics.

So, what made her take to public life? Her father, a Gujarati , forced to flee Idi Amin’s Uganda and seek refuge in Britain, instilled in her that he wouldn’t have flourished as a businessman , but for Margaret Thatcher’s free market policies. From young age, she was absorbed in news and current affairs . By 16, she was Tory enthusiast.

In 2005, Patel finished a poor second to the Labour party candidate in Nottingham. A year later, the Mail on Sunday quoted her as saying, ‘‘ Restore the death penalty and never scrap the pound.’’ Such radical views confirmed her Tory credentials and catapulted her into a secure constituency, even as her party leader, David Cameron, sought to regain the middle ground.