Kanishka Narayan (born c.1991)[1] is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for the Vale of Glamorgan since 2024.[2] A member of the Labour Party, he gained the seat from Conservative Alun Cairns.

Kanishka Narayan
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for the Vale of Glamorgan
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byAlun Cairns
Majority4,216 (9.2%)
Personal details
BornBihar, India
Political partyLabour
Alma materEton College
University of Oxford (BA)
Stanford University (MBA)[1]

Early life and education

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Narayan was born in Bihar, India. His family moved to Cardiff when he was 12 years old[1] and he grew up in the city.[3] He spent one year at Cathays High School, but then went to Eton College in Berkshire with the help of a scholarship.[4] He studied PPE at Balliol College, Oxford[5] before gaining an MBA from Stanford University in the USA.[1]

Narayan says he joined the Labour Party when he was 18.[3]

Career

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Narayan was a civil servant in the Cabinet Office under David Cameron and also at the Environment Department under Liz Truss.[1] He has also worked in the private sector giving financial advice to businesses.[6]

Narayan has also volunteered with Citizens Advice and The Trussell Trust.[6]

Political career

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In 2023 Narayan moved from Cardiff to live on the Waterfront in Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan, a couple of weeks after being selected as the Labour candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan constituency.[1]

Narayan gained the Vale of Glamorgan seat in the July 2024 general election, becoming Wales' first ethnic minority MP. The BBC described it as "one of the most significant developments since Lady Megan Lloyd George became the first woman MP from Wales, back in 1929".[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Prince, Rosa (August 2023). "London Playbook – Postcard from Vale of Glamorgan". Politico. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b Jamshidian, Harry (20 June 2024). "Labour's Kanishka Narayan ready for General Election fight". Barry and District News. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  4. ^ Courea, Eleni (5 June 2024). "Rising stars who could play a big part in a Labour government". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Alumni success in general election 2024 | Balliol College". balliol.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Mosalski, Ruth; Summer, Ben (3 July 2020). "General election 2024: Find out more about the candidates standing in the Vale of Glamorgan". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  7. ^ Lewis, Rowenna; Fairclough, Stephen; Lewis, Rhodri (5 July 2024). "Wales' first ethnic minority MP hopes to inspire". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  8. ^ "UK Election: Record Number of Indian-Origin MPs". NDTV.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Vale of Glamorgan

2024–present
Incumbent