London, Sojan Joseph, an NHS mental health nurse who emigrated from Kerala 22 years ago, is among the new generation of Labor MPs elected to the House of Commons in this UK general election week.
Joseph, 49, connected with voters on her doorstep with his promise to secure more mental health services in her constituency and managed to make a dent in the Conservative stronghold of Ashford in Kent, southeast England. England.
By defeating Conservative stalwart and former minister Damian Green, Joseph also dealt a blow to the anti-immigration rhetoric of right-wing candidates in a seat where the far-right Reform UK party was third after the Conservatives.
“I am honored by the trust that all of you have placed in me and fully aware of the responsibilities that come with it. I will work hard for everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge and the villages,” Joseph said in her acceptance speech on Friday.
Being a local councilor and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) civil servant would have prepared the medical professional for this new parliamentary challenge. But it is his career of more than two decades in the NHS as a mental health nurse that he believes gives her the empathy needed for his new job in Parliament.
Additionally, his connection to the local communities of Ashford, where he has lived with his wife and three children for over 15 years, is his additional motivation.
“I am very proud to call Ashford and Willesborough my home. “I have participated in a number of fundraising activities over the years, including running marathons for various charities and a dragon boat race for the local hospital charity,” said Joseph, who has participated in several international marathons for charity.
“I firmly believe in an inclusive society that works to achieve the full potential of every individual in the community,” she adds.
Joseph, who went to school in Kottayam, completed his nursing studies from B R Ambedkar Medical College in Bengaluru. In the UK, he studied a master's degree in healthcare leadership, focusing on diversity and inclusion in public healthcare. Many voters described him as extremely passionate about improving access to physical and mental health care services for everyone on the campaign trail.
When he takes up his seat in the House of Commons next week, he will be joined by other Labor MPs of Indian descent for the first time reflecting the national turn towards the party after the Keir Starmer-led party won a landslide mandate to form a new government.
Joseph, 49, connected with voters on her doorstep with his promise to secure more mental health services in her constituency and managed to make a dent in the Conservative stronghold of Ashford in Kent, southeast England. England.
By defeating Conservative stalwart and former minister Damian Green, Joseph also dealt a blow to the anti-immigration rhetoric of right-wing candidates in a seat where the far-right Reform UK party was third after the Conservatives.
“I am honored by the trust that all of you have placed in me and fully aware of the responsibilities that come with it. I will work hard for everyone in Ashford, Hawkinge and the villages,” Joseph said in her acceptance speech on Friday.
Being a local councilor and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) civil servant would have prepared the medical professional for this new parliamentary challenge. But it is his career of more than two decades in the NHS as a mental health nurse that he believes gives her the empathy needed for his new job in Parliament.
Additionally, his connection to the local communities of Ashford, where he has lived with his wife and three children for over 15 years, is his additional motivation.
“I am very proud to call Ashford and Willesborough my home. “I have participated in a number of fundraising activities over the years, including running marathons for various charities and a dragon boat race for the local hospital charity,” said Joseph, who has participated in several international marathons for charity.
“I firmly believe in an inclusive society that works to achieve the full potential of every individual in the community,” she adds.
Joseph, who went to school in Kottayam, completed his nursing studies from B R Ambedkar Medical College in Bengaluru. In the UK, he studied a master's degree in healthcare leadership, focusing on diversity and inclusion in public healthcare. Many voters described him as extremely passionate about improving access to physical and mental health care services for everyone on the campaign trail.
When he takes up his seat in the House of Commons next week, he will be joined by other Labor MPs of Indian descent for the first time reflecting the national turn towards the party after the Keir Starmer-led party won a landslide mandate to form a new government.
