Keir Starmer has appointed Shabana Mahmood as the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary, making her the first person of Pakistani and Muslim origin to hold the post. Mahmood called the appointment “the honour of my life” and pledged to work daily to keep citizens safe. Her promotion marks a historic moment for diversity in UK politics and places her in charge of policing, immigration and national security.
Mahmood was born in Birmingham to parents from Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, and spent part of her early childhood in Saudi Arabia before returning to the UK. She studied law at Lincoln College, Oxford, and trained as a barrister, specialising in professional indemnity cases. She entered Parliament as the Member for Birmingham Ladywood and was among the first female Muslim MPs elected to the House of Commons. Throughout her career she has held senior party roles including Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Minister for Prisons.
In government she served as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, where she concentrated on reducing court backlogs and addressing prison overcrowding. Her time in that role saw major reforms aimed at reshaping the prison system and improving the administration of justice.
As Home Secretary, Mahmood will oversee some of the most politically sensitive areas of government: migration and asylum policy, policing and national security. She inherits a challenging brief that will require balancing public confidence, legal obligations and operational demands across the security and immigration systems.
On policy, Mahmood has positioned herself as a supporter of firm but fair immigration rules that promote integration while maintaining strict enforcement. She has also advocated reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights to restore public confidence in human rights protections. On foreign policy matters, she has spoken about the Gaza crisis, stressing the need to protect children and reiterating support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Mahmood has frequently faced harassment and intimidation, including targeted attacks from elements within the local Pakistani community and from far-right groups. She has criticised social media for enabling misinformation and personal attacks, and says her identity as a Muslim woman strengthens her commitment to public service despite those pressures.
Labour figures have applauded her appointment as a significant step for representation. Lord Glasman, founder of Blue Labour, described the move as “fantastic” and suggested Mahmood could be a future leader within the party. Her elevation to one of the most senior roles in government underscores the growing presence of women and ethnic minorities in UK political leadership.
