Sojan Joseph, a mental health nurse in the National Health Service (NHS) who migrated from Kerala 22 years ago, is among the new crop of Labour members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons in the UK general election this week.
Joseph, 49, connected with the voters at the doorstep with his pledge to ensure more mental health services in his constituency and succeeded in making a dent in the Conservative stronghold of Ashford in Kent, south-eastern England.
Sojan Joseph has created history by becoming the first Labour MP for the Ashford constituency in Kent, UK. Joseph’s election comes as part of a sweeping victory for the Labour Party in the recent UK general elections, ending the Conservative Party’s 14-year rule.
Sojan Joseph, 49, was able to secure his position by defeating Conservative Party veteran Damien Green. This victory is particularly historic as Joseph is the first Labour candidate to win the Ashford seat in its 139-year history.
In defeating Tory stalwart and former minister Damian Green, Joseph also dealt a blow to the anti-immigration rhetoric of the right-wing candidates in a seat where the far-right Reform UK came in third place after the Tories.
Joseph expressed his gratitude in a post on X, following his election, “Thank you for the honour of being elected as the first Labour MP of Ashford constituency. I am humbled with the trust you all placed in me and fully aware of the responsibilities that come with it. I will work hard for everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge, and villages. Thank you to all in the Labour Family and the Campaign Team for their support.”
Joseph, who hails from Kaipuzha in Kerala’s Kottayam district, has lived in the UK since 2002, working as a mental health nurse in Kent’s National Health Service. His election to Parliament marks a significant achievement for the Indian-origin community in the UK, with 26 Indian-origin MPs now serving in the House of Commons.
The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, who is set to become the new Prime Minister, celebrated a landslide victory, marking the end of Rishi Sunak’s tenure as Prime Minister.
Back in Kerala, Joseph’s family celebrated the news with immense pride and joy. His father, KT Joseph, along with his sisters and other relatives, expressed their happiness and shared their excitement about his achievement. “I am very happy. A Malayalee went there and won. He calls home every day,” his father told the media. He lives in Kent with his wife, Brita, also a nurse from Kerala, and their three children.
Being a local councillor and a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) Officer would have prepared the medical professional for this new parliamentary challenge. But it is his over two decades’ long NHS career as a mental health nurse that he feels gives him the empathy required for his new job in Parliament.
Also, his connect with the local communities of Ashford, where he has been living with his wife and three children for over 15 years, is his additional motivation.
29 Indian-origin MPs elected
Joseph joins 26 other Indian-origin MPs in the House of Commons, reflecting the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in UK politics.
