Muslim MP becomes justice minister

[Uthman]

Shahid Malik promoted as part of cabinet reshuffle

Britain's first Muslim minister, Shahid Malik, has been promoted to the department of justice as part of Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle.

The Dewsbury MP, who is currently a minister for international development, said he hoped to make Britain "a more just society" in his new role as a minister in the department for justice.

"While I have truly loved my international role working to deliver justice for the poorest around the world, I'm now relishing the opportunity to make Britain an even fairer and more just society for all its citizens," he said.

As an MP, Malik gained experience of violent youth crime in Britain when a teenager was murdered by a gang of young people in his constituency in May this year.

After the killing, the MP, who lives just a few minutes walk from the scene of the attack, called for "a change in society", warning that too many young people were adopting a culture where violence was an accepted part of life.

In another government move, Tom Harris, transport minister, has been sacked. The Glasgow South MP said: "Obviously I'm disappointed; I really enjoyed being a minister. But I was always realistic - ministerial jobs come and go, but the role of an MP is more important than any other. And of course I will continue to support the government from the backbenches."

The finishing touches to the government reshuffle are being announced over the weekend. The posts of immigration minister and police minister at the Home Office have yet to be filled.

A number of senior ministers have today been speaking out in support of Peter Mandelson, who has been brought back to the cabinet as business secretary.

Ed Miliband, who was appointed to the new post of Energy and Climate Change Secretary in yesterday's reshuffle, said Mandelson would make the government "stronger".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he said: "Peter Mandelson has people who like him and people who don't like him, but even his critics would accept that this is someone of immense talent and someone of even greater experience now that he has been the EU Trade Commissioner for three years."

Ed Balls, the schools secretary, described Mandelson's appointment as "the right thing to do".

Source

[Uthman]

So could this be Gordon Brown's way of getting Muslim votes come the next election?

[The Khan]

Yes. The Labour party has a lot of support from the Muslim community. Their votes are essential as Muslims make up large portions of population in a few important neighbourhoods in London. In a parliamentary system, appeasing the minorities is a must.

[Trumble]

Oh, c'mon Osman. If Brown had made Malik Foreign Secretary or Chancellor overnight you might have had a point, but this is a relatively 'junior' position. How many votes is that likely to win; most muslim voters outside his own constituency have probably never even heard of him.

Perhaps it might just be Gordon Brown's way of rewarding good performance and getting the right person into the job?

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[Amadeus85]

The Left support immigration because immigrants mostly vote for Left, and most immigrants vore for left because... Its a closed circle.

[Trumble]

What 'left'?! I didn't think we still had one. :D

Immigration is pretty much a non-issue, anyway, at least as far as immigrants from the Indian sub-continent are concerned. If anybody chooses to play that card (and they will, particularly if unemployment goes up significantly) in will be in relation to immigrants and migrant workers from Eastern Europe whose numbers now dwarf those from anywhere else.

[Amadeus85]

What 'left'?! I didn't think we still had one. :D

Immigration is pretty much a non-issue, anyway, at least as far as immigrants from the Indian sub-continent are concerned. If anybody chooses to play that card (and they will, particularly if unemployment goes up significantly) in will be in relation to immigrants and migrant workers from Eastern Europe whose numbers now dwarf those from anywhere else.

I mean the cultural left, in economics they agreed with capitalism after USSR collapse.
The immigrants from Eastern Europe will in majority come back to their countries, they a do this even now.

[Uthman]

Greetings all,

What the article didn't mention was that Sadiq Khan, another Muslim MP, was promoted to minister for race relations. Would Trumble consider revising his view in light of this information?

Regards

[czgibson]

Greetings,

So there are now two Muslim ministers? Good. We should definitely have Muslim views represented in government - I am sure everyone would agree with that.

Greetings all,

What the article didn't mention was that Sadiq Khan, another Muslim MP, was promoted to minister for race relations. Would Trumble consider revising his view in light of this information?

Regards

I think Trumble's right:

Perhaps it might just be Gordon Brown's way of rewarding good performance and getting the right person into the job?

The idea that it's a ploy to win Muslim votes appears to rest on the assumption that the British public scrutinise political activity with rapt attention.

Now if they had a Muslim judge on X-Factor, that would be different... :D

Peace

[Uthman]

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right actually.

Islam says 'avoid suspicion' anyway. :D