Harikesh Ladwa

Thesis Title: Minority Ethnic MPs in UK Parliament Since 1987

This project explores the political lives of former MPs from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK, with a focus on how race, class, gender and party culture shape their experiences within and beyond Westminster. Through the use of oral history interviews, this project will explore how MPs navigated institutional norms, public scrutiny and representational pressures, while negotiating personal and political identities. In doing so, it sheds light on how inclusion and exclusion are lived in everyday parliamentary life, from constituency work to committee involvement and cabinet service. This thesis will also interrogate the emotional and professional costs of political careers, especially those contending with marginalisation, deselection or scandal. Central to this project is the collaboration with the History of Parliament, contributing to archival preservation of underrepresented political voices. Ultimately, the research seeks to expand understanding of political representation by moving beyond institutional metrics and focusing on lived experience, memory and legacy. In doing so it will contribute to broader debates on race, representation and belonging in British political life.

Collaborative Partner:

History of Parliament Trust

Biography:

I am a PhD student at the University of Leicester. Prior to this, I completed my undergraduate degree at Keele University and an MA at University College London, both in History. As part of the 1+3 pathway, I also completed an MSc at the University of Leicester. My interests are around the engagement of minority ethnic communities and individuals within British society. My previous dissertations explored Indians in the RAF during the Second World War and minority ethnic participation in the Labour Party in Leicester.