Kerala-origin nurse turned UK MP settles into House of Commons rhythm

London: Sojan Joseph is among the new crop of Indian-origin Labour members of Parliament who pulled off an impressive feat by being elected from a former Conservative Party stronghold of Ashford in Kent, south-east England, in the July general election.

In an interview with PTI at the House of Commons, the mental health nurse on a career break from the National Health Service (NHS) reflected upon finding his rhythm as a new MP with his parliamentary team now in place.

The Kerala-origin father of three feels the election has brought a strong sense of optimism to his constituency and is particularly relieved about investment in the NHS unveiled in the Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led government’s first Budget tabled in Parliament last week.

“I'm still an employee of the NHS and so pleased that not only the NHS, but the minimum wage also went up in the first Labour Budget in 14 years. It will be a big boost for workers, like a lot of Indians and new migrants who arrive here for jobs, including as care workers. Their minimum wage is going up which is very welcome news,” shared Joseph.

After the Budget, while the UK’s national minimum wage is set to rise in April 2025 from GBP 11.44 to GBP 12.21 an hour, the state-funded NHS received GBP 22.6 billion for day-to-day spending over two years and GBP 3.1 billion towards capital investment.  The 49-year-old former hospital worker feels his experience as a mental health nurse and work in the community as a local councillor and charity fundraiser helped him connect with voters, who were desperate for change.

“It was not an easy campaign, but I tried to be very positive when I met people crying out for change, with the economy so down and public services in desperate need of improvement,” he said.

“Often in the mental health sector, it is not just patients, but you also engage with the family and wider society. You come across people who are vulnerable, struggling and in need of help, which helped me understand the needs and led me to join in politics," he said.

"I thought to influence change, I need to be in the right place,” he added.

Joseph was born in Kottayam and went on to study nursing in Bengaluru and work in Himachal Pradesh.

He moved to the UK after being appointed to an NHS hospital in Dorset, south-west England, and eventually settled down in Ashford with his family in 2002 after completing his training.

His wife, who is also a nurse, and children were initially hesitant about his career shift to step into frontline politics but have since been his biggest cheerleaders.

“My wife and children were quite happy when I became a local councillor, but when I talked about standing for Parliament, it came as a big shock to them. But since then, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.” He also recalls fondly the hero’s welcome he received when he made a brief post-election visit to his family home in Kottayam.

“Especially in my parish back in India, they all are very proud to see me getting elected to the Parliament. When you think of Kerala, every house in my village has somebody living here in the UK. So, any decisions that the Parliament is taking here impact each and every one of us,” he reflected.

Joseph sees his election along with around a dozen Labour MPs of Indian heritage as symbolic of the new government’s commitment to strengthen ties with India and its diaspora.  He said: “I am extremely proud and happy to represent the people of Kerala, and, even if they don't live in my constituency, I have really good, close connections with the Malayali community around the UK.

“I also feel proud to represent the Indian community and, of course, the NHS. I originally came to this country to work as a nurse in the health sector. When you look at the health sector here, thousands of Indian doctors, nurses and care workers are employed in the NHS. So, there is a clear connection between the NHS and India and representing them makes me truly proud."