Uma Kumaran

Uma Kumaran (உமா குமரன்) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stratford and Bow since 2024.

Early life
Kumaran was born in East London to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. Her parents, who had fled the Sri Lankan Civil War, were assisted by Labour Party MP Jeremy Corbyn in their immigration case. The family later moved to Harrow where Kumaran was educated at Newton Farm Nursery, Infant and Junior School, Bentley Wood High School and St Dominic's Sixth Form College. She has Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and a Master of Science degree in public policy from Queen Mary University of London. Kumaran was a volunteer hospital radio presenter and producer at Radio Northwick Park, a charity radio station for promoting health and wellbeing within the local community through its broadcasting and NHS befriending service. From 2018 to 2022, she mentored first and final-year politics students from underprivileged backgrounds at Queen Mary University of London.

Career
Kumaran worked for NHS Professionals between December 2007 and January 2009. She was a parliamentary researcher and caseworker for Labour MP Dawn Butler between March 2009 and August 2010. She worked for the Labour Group on Islington Council from September 2010 to December 2014. She was senior campaign adviser for Sadiq Khan (May 2015 to October 2015) and a political adviser at the Local Government Association (October 2015 to November 2017). She then served as a Senior Adviser to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan from November 2017 to August 2020. Kumaran was Deputy Director of Parliamentary Affairs for Labour leader Keir Starmer from September 2020 to March 2022 where she was a part of the Prime Minister's Questions team and Shadow Cabinet Relations. She was Director Diplomatic and International Relations for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, leading on relations for bolder climate action with the United Nations, governments, mayors and philanthropic organisations around the world from April 2022 to May 2024.

Kumaran contested 2010 local elections in the London Borough of Harrow as one of the Labour Party candidates in the three-member Pinner South Ward but was not elected. In November 2013 Kumaran was selected by the Labour Party to be its candidate in Harrow East. During the 2015 general election campaign she and the Liberal Democrat candidate were attacked by Dharma Sewa Purvapaksha, an organisation founded by Conservative Party member Mukesh Naker, for their parties’ support in 2013 for legislation to outlaw caste discrimination. Kumaran's Conservative opponent Bob Blackman described the anti-discrimination legislation as "divisive and much hated". At the election Kumaran was defeated by Blackman. She did not contest 2017 general election, citing the impact on her family and friends of the communal politics employed by Conservative MP Bob Blackman during the 2015 election campaign in Harrow East. In May 2024 Kumaran was selected to be the Labour Party's candidate in the newly created constituency of Stratford and Bow. At the election she was elected with a majority of 11,634.

Personal life
Kumaran resides in London with her husband. She speaks English, Tamil, French, and German. She serves as an Advisory Board Member on the Labour Climate and Environment Forum.