Three candidates blazing the trail! - Gallery 8

Shabana Mahmood, Labour candidate for Birmingham Ladywood

Shabana Mahmood MP was born and brought up in Small Heath, Birmingham. During her time studying Law at Oxford, she helped to increase applications to Oxbridge by students from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds, something she still continues.

Shabana practised as an Employed Barrister. She was elected Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood in May 2010. Her rise to the Shadow front bench was immediate. In October 2013 she was promoted to the shadow Treasury Team as the Shadow Exchequer Secretary with responsibility for tax and growth policy.

Shabana believes passionately: “Where you live and how wealthy your parents are should not dictate the kind of life you have. Everyone deserves the same opportunity to succeed in life."

Twitter: @shabanamahmood
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shabana-Mahmood
Web: http://www.shabanamahmood.org

Kishan Devani, Conservative candidate for Leicester East

Kishan studied law and is a qualified teacher, who moved into a career as a consultant for a wealth management company.

He has campaigned for greater awareness of the challenges facing Special Educational Needs (SEN) pupils and is passionate about the importance of education in improving people’s lives.

Kishan believes in reducing crime, attracting business and jobs to the area, as well as rewarding hard work. In 2012 his hard work was acknowledged and he was awarded the Asian Achievers Award in Community service. His priority is to ensure that that local people are heard.

Twitter: @Kishan_Devani
Web: http://www.kishandevani.co.uk/

Steven Cheung, Liberal Democrat candidate for Walthamstow

Born in Hong Kong in 1989, Steven’s family settled in the United Kingdom in 2002 where he was brought up in Walthamstow.

He studied at Heathcote School, then Higham’s Park College, where he was elected as an Olympic Ambassador. Aged just 19, Steven stood for the European Parliament, coming second out of all the independent candidates. He joined Young Advisors, consulting at local and national government level on youth related issues and advised the Youth Citizen Commission which encouraged young people to play an active part in British society.

Steven has a number of roles within Waltham Forest Council, the Museum of London and The British Chinese Project. He is also a well-known community radio presenter. He tags himself a ‘local lad with global vision’.

Twitter: @stevencheung
FB: https://www.facebook.com/stevencheung88
Web: http://www.stevencheung.co.uk

Picture: Shabana Mahmood, Kishan Devani, and Steven Cheung (From left to right)