6 influential British political leaders with Ghanaian roots you should know

A complex mix of historical and voluntary migration has led to the resettlement of Africans in various parts of the world, with the transatlantic slave trade and later voluntary journeys abroad playing pivotal roles in this dispersion.

Over time, many of these individuals and their descendants established deep roots in their new countries, often becoming citizens and integral members of these societies.

In some instances, their influence extended beyond cultural integration, as they ventured into active politics, eventually rising to positions of leadership. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the United Kingdom, where individuals of African descent have made significant strides in the political arena.

Among these are six notable Ghanaians who have not only made their mark in the UK but have also played crucial roles in shaping its political landscape. Here’s a look at their contributions to politics and leadership in the United Kingdom.

Lord Harold Boateng:

The Rt Hon the Lord Boateng PC DL was brought up in Ghana and the U.K, and was educated at the Accra Academy, Apsley Grammar School and the University of Bristol.

He has qualified both as a Solicitor and Barrister. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from 1987 till 2005, and served in various Ministerial roles in the U.K. Government between 1997 and 2005, joining the Cabinet in 2002 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Lord Boateng was also the U.K. High Commissioner to South Africa between 2005 and 2009, and was elevated to the Peerage in 2010 as Lord Boateng of Akyem and Wembley.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:

Bellavia Janet Ribeiro-Addy, born 1 March 1985, is a British Labour Party politician who is the MP Clapham and Brixton Hill since 2024, when she won the seat for the Labour Party. She was previously MP for Streatham from 2019, till its abolition in 2024. In 2020, she was briefly the Shadow Minister for Immigration, and she currently chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations.

Abena Oppong-Asare:

Abena Oppong-Asare, born 8 February 1983, is a British Labour Party politician, who has served as a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office since July 2024. She was elected as the MP for Erin and Thamesmead in the 2019 general election. Together with Bell Ribeiro-Addy, they are the first female British-Ghanaian MPs.

Kwasi Kwarteng:

Kwasi Kwarteng will be remembered as Britain’s first Black Chancellor of the Exchequer and Britain’s shortest-serving living chancellor too. He was dismissed by then Prime Minister, Liz Truss, as chancellor after 38 days. The only Chancellor to have lasted for shorter time than died in office. His name was Iain Macleod and he was Chancellor for 30 days.

He was selected as the Conservative candidate for Spelthorne in 2010, and won the seat, and was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. In 2021 under the Boris Johnson’s leadership, he became Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Adam Afriyie:

Adam Afriyie was born in Wimbledon, south London in 1965 to a Ghanaian father and an English mother. He became the Conservative Party’s first mixed-race MP in the 2005 British elections, after taking the constituency of Windsor in southeast England, in the general election. He served on select and standing committees, led policy development, and became Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation from 2007 to 2010.

Adam became the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy a year later in 2017 and attended the inauguration of Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He was a Member of Parliament for Windsor & Chair of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.

Samuel Phillip Gyimah:

Banker and former politician, Samuel Phillip Gyimah, served as the MP for East Surrey between 2010 and 2019. He was born on 10 August 1976 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. His father Samuel was a GP, and his mother Comfort Mainoo, was a midwife. He schooled at Achimota School in Accra before returning to the UK and starting his career at Goldman Sachs International.