Meet Shabana Mahmood of Kashmiri origin, set to become Britain’s first Muslim PM, replacing Keir Starmer

Shabana Mahmood studied law at Oxford University and is a barrister by profession.

New Delhi: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s position is now in jeopardy due to the controversy surrounding American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Labour Party has demanded his resignation. However, Starmer has categorically refused to step down.

Origin: Mirpur, PoK

Meanwhile, the names of Home Minister Shabana Mahmood, Health Minister West Streeting, and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner are emerging as contenders for the new Prime Minister’s post. Shabana Mahmood is of Mirpur origin, PoK, and is the first Muslim woman to become Home Minister in 2025. If she becomes Prime Minister, she will also be Britain’s first Muslim Prime Minister.

Shabana Mahmood is one of Britain’s first female Muslim MPs.

Starmer on weak ground

The controversy surrounding the Epstein Files in Britain escalated to such an extent that PM Starmer’s most trusted aide and Downing Street Chief of Staff, Morgan McSweeney, had to resign.

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McSweeney is accused of appointing Peter Mandelson, a supporter of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to the United States. McSweeney stated that this appointment was wrong.

How much minimum support should challenger have?

According to Labour Party rules, anyone wishing to challenge Keir Starmer must meet certain strict conditions. The most important thing is that the challenger must garner the support of at least 20% of the party’s parliamentary members.

This rule was implemented following a change at the party conference in 2021. Previously, the threshold was only 10%, but it has now been raised to 20% to prevent an easy leadership challenge and maintain party stability.

How many Labour MPs are there?

The total number of Labour MPs currently stands at around 404-405, so any challenger must garner the written support of at least 81 Labour MPs.

Amid this political turmoil, Home Minister Shabana Mahmood is being seen as a potential successor. The 45-year-old has previously served as Justice Minister and Lord Chancellor.

Shabana Mahmood profile

Shabana Mahmood was born in Birmingham to Pakistani parents. She studied law at Oxford University and is a barrister by profession. In 2010, she joined Britain’s first female Muslim MPs, along with Rushanara Ali and Yasmin Qureshi.

In the Labour Party, she is considered a close ally of Keir Starmer and is associated with the party’s right-wing faction. She holds a strong stance on immigration policies and says that living in Britain is a privilege.

Just months after entering Parliament in 2010, she was given a key party position and later became responsible for the Labour Party’s national election campaign and played a major role in the party’s election strategy.