33 Facts About Yasmin Qureshi

Yasmin Qureshi was born on 5 July 1963 and is a Pakistan-born British politician and barrister.

Yasmin Qureshi has been the Member of Parliament for Bolton South and Walkden since 2024, previously representing Bolton South East from 2010 to 2024.

Yasmin Qureshi's father was an engineer, and the family lived in Watford.

Yasmin Qureshi attended what is London South Bank University, and graduated with a BA Law degree before studying for and sitting her examinations for the Bar at the Council of Legal Education.

Yasmin Qureshi gained a Master of Laws at University College London.

Yasmin Qureshi began her legal career with the Crown Prosecution Service as an in-house barrister, prosecuting on behalf of the Crown in numerous criminal cases.

Yasmin Qureshi headed the criminal legal section of the UN Mission in Kosovo, and was selected as co-ordinator of the Criminal Legal Unit from 2000 to 2001.

Yasmin Qureshi was then appointed Director of the Department of Judicial Administration in Kosovo.

Yasmin Qureshi then worked as a human rights advisor to the former London mayor Ken Livingstone, a position she held from 2004 to 2008.

Yasmin Qureshi chaired the Human Rights and Civil Liberties Working Group of the Association of Muslim Lawyers and was President of the Pakistan Club.

Yasmin Qureshi has undertaken community work for over 20 years, working with local law centres and the Citizen Advice Bureau alongside her legal career.

At the age of 16, Yasmin Qureshi joined the Labour Party and became active in local politics.

Yasmin Qureshi stood, unsuccessfully, for Labour in the London constituency of Brent East in 2005.

Yasmin Qureshi was elected at the 2010 general election in the safe Labour seat of Bolton South East.

Yasmin Qureshi is the first woman to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Bolton South East.

Yasmin Qureshi has served on a number of Committees in her time in parliament.

In early October 2016, Yasmin Qureshi was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Justice by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

From 2014 to 2015 Yasmin Qureshi was on the Committee scrutinising the High Speed Rail project.

Yasmin Qureshi sought to scrutinise impacts and costing of the controversial project in light of concerns over its slow progress and high cost.

Yasmin Qureshi is involved in a number of All-party Parliamentary Groups.

Since 2011, Yasmin Qureshi has been campaigning for justice for the parents and children of those affected by Primodos, a historic hormone pregnancy test used in the 1960s and 1970s which significant evidence indicates leads to birth defects in children.

Yasmin Qureshi has worked to bring about an inquiry into a purported cover-up of information on the drug which may have taken place in the 1970s and 1980s.

Yasmin Qureshi commented that "this is one of the worst outbreaks of violence in decades, yet the international community is effectively remaining silent as we watch another Srebrenica and Rwanda unfold before our eyes".

In May 2014, Yasmin Qureshi opposed mandatory labelling of meat coming from animals killed by halal and kosher methods.

Yasmin Qureshi has supported a number of other campaigns while in parliament.

Yasmin Qureshi has been a stringent critic of the widespread closure of courts and sales of court buildings throughout her time as an MP.

Yasmin Qureshi argues that doing so without due process and in a rushed manner "piles yet more pressure on the remaining courts and risks hearings being further delayed and rescheduled", with the impact of "distressing victims and witnesses, many of whom are now forced to travel much greater distances".

Yasmin Qureshi has been a consistent critic of the Conservatives running of the prison system.

Yasmin Qureshi was strongly against the dropping of bombs in Syria; after travelling on a fact-finding mission with the Foreign Affairs Committee, she argued that while the bombs would certainly cause "many innocent civilian deaths", the evidence that the strikes would significantly weaken ISIS was unclear.

In January 2025, Yasmin Qureshi spoke against the petition to hold a new General Election, describing those who had signed the petition, over 3 million signatures, as responding to "disinformation" and "foreign interference".

In January 2013 and 2015, Yasmin Qureshi was nominated for the Politician of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.

Yasmin Qureshi is married to Nadeem Ashraf, whom she employs as Constituency Caseworker and Administrative Officer.

In October 2020, Yasmin Qureshi tested positive for COVID-19, and was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital with pneumonia, after nearly two weeks.