Two ethnic Chinese likely to be elected to British Parliament
British voters are expected to elect the first two ethnic Chinese MPs to Parliament in its 800-year history during the upcoming general election.
British voters are expected to elect the first two ethnic Chinese MPs to Parliament in its 800-year history during the upcoming general election.
The latest polls show that Chinese-Malaysians Alan Mak for the Conservatives and Labour candidate Sarah Owen will be voted to Westminster.
In total, 11 candidates of Chinese heritage are running in the May 7 election. About 400,000 ethnically Chinese people live in the UK.
"The first area of significance is that we've never had a Chinese MP. If this year we see Alan and Sarah come through, we're on our way to break through the glass ceiling," said Michael Wilkes, vice-chairman of the British Chinese Project.
"We have issues in the Chinese community that can only be helped by Chinese representatives," he added.
In the seat in Hastings and Rye, where Owen is standing, Labour hopes to benefit from the Conservatives losing votes to the anti-immigration, anti-Europe UK Independence Party.