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{{short description|British Labour politician}}
{{Use dmy dates}}{{Use British English}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| native_name = ਤਨਮਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਢੇਸੀ
| native_name_lang = pa
| image = Official portrait of Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2020
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]]
| office2 = [[Department for Transport|Shadow Minister for Rail]]
| leader2 = [[Keir Starmer]]
| term_start2 = 9 April 2020
| term_end2 = 5 September 2023
| predecessor2 = [[Rachael Maskell]]
| office3 = [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| term_start3 = 7 January 2020
| term_end3 = 6 April 2020
| leader3 = [[Jeremy Corbyn]]
| predecessor3 = [[Kate Hollern]]
| successor3 = [[Carolyn Harris]]
| office4 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Slough]]
| term_start4 = 8 June 2017
| term_end4 =
| predecessor4 = [[Fiona Mactaggart]]
| successor4 =
| majority4 = 13,640 (26.7%)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|8|17|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.parliament.uk/membersdataplatform/services/mnis/members/query/id=4638/BasicDetails/ |title=Members' Names Data Platform query |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Slough]], Berkshire, England
| party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| alma_mater = [[University College London]]<br />[[Keble College, Oxford]]<br />[[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]]
| website = {{Official website|https://www.tsdhesi.com/}}
| office = [[Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury]]
| term_start = 6 September 2023
| leader = [[Keir Starmer]]
| successor2 = [[Stephen Morgan (British politician)|Stephen Morgan]]
| predecessor = [[Abena Oppong-Asare]]
}}
'''Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi''' ({{lang-pa|ਤਨਮਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਢੇਸੀ}}; born 17 August 1978) is a [[British people|British]] politician who has been the [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Slough]] since [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]].<ref name="HPI">{{cite news|title=How Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Became UK's First Turbaned Member Of Parliament|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/06/09/jalandhar-boy-tanmanjeet-singh-dhesi-is-uks-first-turbaned-memb_a_22133948/|work= [[Huffington Post]] India|accessdate=9 June 2017}}</ref> A member of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], he has served as the [[Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury]] since September 2023.<ref name=":0" />

==Personal life==
Dhesi was born in [[Slough]] to [[Punjabi Sikh]] parents, and spent his early years in [[Chalvey]], Slough.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2017-07-18/debates/733C6229-49D0-4559-8F59-5F1244C2DE13/DrugsPolicy#contribution-56C6F070-EBB9-440A-86D0-6A74B22A5CBC|title=Drugs Policy – Hansard|website=hansard.parliament.uk|access-date=19 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.laboursoutheast.org.uk/team/2018/05/31/tan-dhesi-mp/|title=Tan Dhesi MP|website=Labour South East|language=en-GB|access-date=19 February 2019}}</ref> He is the son of Jaspal Singh Dhesi, who runs a construction company in the UK, and the former president of [[Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara]], in [[Gravesend]], [[Kent]] - the largest [[gurdwara]] in the UK.<ref name="indiatimes1">{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/dhesi-is-labour-candidate-from-slough/articleshow/58438933.cms |title=Dhesi is Labour candidate from Slough |work=[[Times of India]] |author= Singh, I P |date=30 April 2017 |accessdate=9 June 2017}}</ref>

Dhesi received most of his primary education in the [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India, before returning to the UK at the age of 9.<ref name="Tan Dhesi MP">{{Cite web |title=Tan Dhesi MP |url=https://www.laboursoutheast.org.uk/team/2018/05/31/tan-dhesi-mp/ |access-date=23 May 2022 |website=Labour South East |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Dhesi has a bachelor's degree in mathematics with Management Studies from [[University College London]], studied Applied Statistics at [[Keble College, Oxford]], and has a [[Master of Philosophy]] in the History and Politics of South Asia from [[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]].<ref name="indiatimes1" />

Following in his father's footsteps, Mr Dhesi worked in construction for much of his life, running his own construction company in Scotland.<ref name="Tan Dhesi MP"/> He served as Director for Dhesi Construction Limited which became insolvent as records show on Companies House from July 2002 to January 2007 and DGP Logistics PLC from October 2005 to April 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tanmanjeet Singh DHESI personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/zkRldJwDsP3VZrJSBIPyOda50cs/appointments |access-date=23 May 2022 |website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>

In 2012, his mother, Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, was jailed in India, for kidnap and forcing an abortion on a teenage mother, who later died.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/mayor-of-gravesham-embroiled-in--a65485/ |title=Mayor of Gravesham embroiled in mother's jailing for kidnap |publisher=Kentonline.co.uk |date= 12 April 2012|accessdate=9 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/uk-polls-harpreet-kaur-case-convict-s-son-in-fray/story-EnwUxtsKGB5rZvk8CXreHI.html |title=UK polls: Harpreet Kaur case convict's son in fray | chandigarh |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=22 April 2016 |accessdate=9 June 2017}}</ref> The conviction was criticised by many commentators for being politically motivated, and an appeal was filed by Dalwinder in the immediate aftermath of the decision. In 2018, a double bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld this appeal. All charges against her were subsequently dropped.<ref>{{cite news |title=yespunjab |url=http://www.yespunjab.com/punjab/news/item/164535-bibi-jagir-kaur-raipur-dhesi-and-nishan-acquitted-from-harpreet-kaur-case |url-status=dead |date=4 December 2018 |access-date=15 December 2018 |archive-date=8 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408095159/http://www.yespunjab.com/punjab/news/item/164535-bibi-jagir-kaur-raipur-dhesi-and-nishan-acquitted-from-harpreet-kaur-case }}</ref>

Dhesi is familiar with eight languages and is fluent in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, French and English. He also has a working knowledge of German, Italian and Latin.<ref name="Tan Dhesi MP"/>

== Early political career ==
Dhesi was first elected as a councillor to [[Gravesham Borough Council]] in 2007. He later went on to become the Mayor of Gravesham between 2011 and 2012.<ref name="About">{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.tsdhesi.com/about/ |access-date=23 May 2022 |website=Tan Dhesi |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mistry |first=Rahul |title=The Mayor |url=https://www.gravesham.gov.uk/councillors-meetings/mayor/3 |access-date=23 May 2022 |website=Gravesham Borough Council |language=en}}</ref>

He has also served as Chair of [[Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)|Gravesham Constituency]] Labour Party in Kent, where he stood unsuccessfully during the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], losing out to [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Adam Holloway]].<ref name="electoralcalculus2015">{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |publisher=[[Electoral Calculus]] |accessdate=17 October 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archivedate=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=GRAVESHAM 2015 |url=http://electionresults.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/gravesham-2015.html |website=electionresults.blogspot.co.uk}}</ref>

Other voluntary roles whilst serving as a councillor include as school governor at two schools, a trustee with Alzheimer and Dementia Support Services, an advisor and member of [[Mencap]] and a member of the Independent Police Advisory Group to [[Kent Police]].<ref name="Tan Dhesi MP"/><ref name="About"/>

==Parliamentary career==
He became Britain's first [[turban]]ed [[Sikh]] MP in the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]] after gaining the nomination following [[Fiona Mactaggart]] standing down. He gave his maiden speech in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 18 July 2017 which was praised greatly by fellow MPs [[Gareth Snell]] and [[Mike Gapes]].<ref name="Basu">{{cite web|last1=Basu|first1=Indrani|title=How Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Became UK's First Turbaned Sikh Member Of Parliament|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/06/09/jalandhar-boy-tanmanjeet-singh-dhesi-is-uks-first-turbaned-memb_a_22133948/|website=Huffington Post India|accessdate=9 June 2017|date=9 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/news/slough/118171/slough-mp-tan-dhesi-praised-for-maiden-speech-in-parliament.html| title=Slough MP Tan Dhesi praised for maiden speech in parliament| first=Luke| last=Matthews| date=18 July 2017| accessdate=4 September 2019|work= Slough Express}}</ref>

Dhesi continued working as a Councillor for [[Kent County Council]] and as a consultant for DGP Logistics for almost 2 years after being elected as an MP.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 November 2019 |title=The Register of Members' Financial Interests |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/191105/dhesi_tanmanjeet-singh.htm |access-date=5 December 2022 |website=[[UK Parliament]]}}</ref>

Dhesi served on the [[Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee]] from July 2018 until the dissolution of the 57th Parliament of the United Kingdom on 6 November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Parliamentary career for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4638/career|website=members.parliament.uk|language=en|access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref>

In March 2020, Dhesi became a member of the [[Defence Select Committee]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Parliamentary career for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4638/career|website=members.parliament.uk|language=en|access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref> He stepped down from the committee in May 2020 following his appointment ⁹as Shadow Minister for Railways.

He supported [[Lisa Nandy]] in the [[2020 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|2020 Labour Party leadership election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/politics/here-are-the-23-mps-backing-wigan-s-lisa-nandy-in-the-labour-party-leadership-contest-1-10193818|title=Here are the 23 MPs backing Wigan's Lisa Nandy in the Labour Party leadership contest|website=www.wigantoday.net|language=en|access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref>

In 2021, Dhesi was accused of attempting to hire volunteers for long term work without pay with the job being posted on the ''Working For an MP'' website. It was claimed that the posting of the job was an administrative error and that Dhesi himself was unaware of its existence, however he declined to comment to the Huffington Post to confirm this.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 April 2021 |title=Labour Shadow Minister Tried To Recruit Unpaid Volunteers To Work In His Office "Long Term" |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-shadow-minister-ad-volunteer-work-free_uk_6089db2ee4b02e74d222e37c |access-date=5 December 2022 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}}</ref>

In the [[2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle]], he was appointed [[Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Belger |first=Tom |date=2023-09-05 |title=Labour reshuffle: Starmer unveils six new shadow ministers of state |url=https://labourlist.org/2023/09/labour-reshuffle-starmer-unveils-five-new-shadow-ministers/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=[[LabourList]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{UK MP links |parliament=mr-tanmanjeet-singh-dhesi/4638 |publicwhip=Tanmanjit_Singh_Dhesi |theywork=tanmanjit_singh_dhesi}}
*{{Twitter}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Fiona Mactaggart]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Member of Parliament for [[Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Slough]]
| years = [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]]–present
}}
{{s-inc
}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Kate Hollern]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| years = 2020
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Carolyn Harris]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{South East England Labour Party MPs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhesi, Tanmajeet}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2017–2019]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Mayors of places in Kent]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors]]
[[Category:English Sikhs]]
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2019–present]]
[[Category:British people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:British politicians of Punjabi descent]]

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi - Revision history

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