Punjabi-origin brother-sister duo set to contest UK polls
Sunday, 03/05/2015
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CHANDIGARH: A Punjabi-origin brother-sister duo is all set to jump into the political arena by contesting the upcoming UK elections.
Arun Photay, 31, and Suria Photay, 27, are contesting on a Conservative Party ticket from Yardley, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton South East, respectively. While Arun is a local councillor, Suria is contesting elections for the first time.
“I am a trained barrister and I got involved in politics through my brother. He is a local councillor and now a parliamentary candidate. When he contested the local elections, I delivered leaflets for him and walking around with other party members, I learned more about politics. Having researched, I found that no substantial improvements were being made in Wolverhampton and also there wasn’t a large voice for women or the Asian community in the Houses of Parliament and I want to change that,” said Suria.
Highly-motivated and energetic, both Arun and Suria share similar vision for their constituencies. The brother-sister duo want to ensure improvement in education and attract local business to boost economy in their constituencies.
“This will not only help regenerate Wolverhampton South East, but also ensure the constituents work in their area and live together. We have had some great proposals for investment in Wolverhampton over the years, but they have always fallen through. I will work hard to make sure that the proposals become reality and ensure there is accountability for any mistakes that may be made along the way,” said Suria.
“I believe the area has suffered from underinvestment in infrastructure and industry. I am proposing to attract industry back into the constituency to create jobs, which will in turn improve the living standards of the residents,” Arun said.
Having roots in Punjab, Arun and Suria are excited about contesting parliamentary election together. “We both feel privileged and honoured to be contesting polls at the same time. And I am very proud of her,” said Arun.
STRENGTHENING INDIA-UK TIES
“My mother was born in Britain and my father in India. As such I have ties to both India and the UK and I will work hard to strengthen IndoUK ties. Prime Minister David Cameron has shown his dedication to strengthening the IndiaUK relationship. He has been the only serving PM to have visited India three times. He has also appointed Priti Patel to work with the Indian diaspora here,” said Suria. “It is important that our community has a voice and I do hope that our younger generations will understand more about politics and consider a career in politics as they grow older,” she added.
