His name is Chuka Umunna. His father is Nigerian. His mother is Briton. This gives him the right to claim both countries. Umunna, who is a key player in the Labour Party, is called Britain’s Obama and is quoted to have said the first black British Prime Minister may be in the making.

His official title is Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.  He holds this position in a shadow government set up by Britain’s opposition party, the Labour Party (LP) headed by Ed Miliband. Chuka Umunna, who has a Nigerian father and a British mother, is regarded as Miliband’s  rising star. His rising status has also made him  face a revolt from jealous Labour MPs who have accused him of running a ‘presidential-style’ Commons office.

Leaked documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal that Shadow Business Secretary Mr Umunna has 11 people working for him – more  than twice what many fellow Labour frontbenchers say they have.

His team, believed to be paid about £200,000 in total, includes no fewer than three ‘policy advisers’, a ‘personal assistant’ and a spin doctor.

The chain of command in what Labour MPs are referring to as ‘the court of King Chuka’ is set out in an elaborate ‘organogram’ with stylish Mr Umunna, 33, at the head.

The former City lawyer, promoted to the Shadow Cabinet last month, has had a meteoric rise in the Labour Party since becoming an MP 18 months ago.

He has been dubbed the ‘British Obama’ because of his good looks,  talent and half-African heritage, an image he did little to play down, saying: ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to see a black Prime Minister in my lifetime.’

In order of ranking, Mr Umunna’s Westminster ‘First XI’ starts with: personal assistant Terri Jacques, chief political adviser Jake Sumner, political adviser (media) Gabriel Huntley and Anna Coffey, head of events and visits.

After that come three policy advisers, two constituency caseworkers, a junior parliamentary assistant and a placement student.

Most of the salary bill comes from Mr Umunna’s Commons staffing allowance of more than £115,000 a year and from extra public funds provided for Opposition frontbench spokesmen.

In addition, policy adviser Harry Holdstock is seconded from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which pays his wages, and Richard Ascough, an official with the GMB union, is seconded from the Labour leader’s office. The highest-earning members of the MP’s staff are believed to be paid up to £40,000.

Wealthy Mr Umunna denies he is using his own personal income to subsidise his team.

Earlier this month, The Mail on Sunday revealed his mother’s £1million house, which he stands to inherit, was linked to a Jersey-based trust that helps ‘high net worth’ individuals to ‘plan for and mitigate tax liabilities’ – although he denies the arrangement reflects any attempt to limit the family’s tax bill.

Labour MPs said they were astonished by the size of Mr Umunna’s parliamentary staff. A fellow Shadow Minister said: ‘This is more like an empire than an office. I cannot believe that he merits such a large retinue and I am flabbergasted as to how he is paying for it. He has far more people than the rest of us. It is very puzzling.’

Mr Umunna’s spokesman said in addition to his unpaid placement student, the MP ‘has three full-time and one part-time staff working in constituency-related roles and a personal assistant’, adding: “This is in line with other London MPs and reflects the very high volume of casework in a constituency like Streatham.

“In Mr Umunna’s role as Shadow Business Secretary, he has two full-time advisers and one part-time member of staff, a part-time secondee from the private sector and a secondee from the Leader of the Opposition’s office working only one day a week. This is in line with his predecessor in the role, and is not unusual.”

A Labour Party spokesman said: “This effective level of staffing reflects the importance which Ed Miliband attaches to the business portfolio.”

Speaking  to UK universities students three days ago, Umunna said: “At a time o f considerable change and instability, Universities UK has been a constant voice of good sense and reason. I know both my predecessor in the role, John Denham, and our former lead on Higher Education, Gareth Thomas, greatly appreciated your wise counsel and advice.

“Though he is not here, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank John, who is a real champion of Higher Education. He brought a huge amount of expertise to bear on the brief as a former Secretary of State for Innovation Universities and Skills and as Shadow Business Secretary.

“Both I and Shabana Mahmood, our new Shadow on Universities, want to maintain and grow the close working relationship John and Gareth had with you.

“I, of course, shadow Vince Cable. Vince is a bit different to me – he has been around for somewhat longer than me. In fact, a journalist pointed out when I was appointed in October that not only is Vince twice my age but, during his lifetime, he has been a member of the Labour Party for longer than I have.

“Anyway – notwithstanding the comparisons with Vince - though Shabana and I may not be in Government, we have an important role to play as an Opposition holding the government to account and ensuring they do right by our students, by the institutions our students attend, by those who work in them and, above all, by our country. You want this too which is why a constant dialogue, between us and you, is absolutely essential. For example, we will want to work closely with you on the forthcoming Bill and the changes that it will bring.

“Shabana and I will also be making a series of visits to universities in the coming months to listen and learn, and we look forward to engaging with many of you then as we develop our policy, and thank you for all your help and assistance to date.”

He added: “When the Conservative-led Government initially set out its changes to Higher Education - cutting the teaching grant by 80% and hiking up fees - we said what was proposed was unnecessary, unfair and unsustainable: not good for students or the future of Higher Education, one of Britain’s great success stories.

“It was why we asked the Government to lay out their plans in full so we could subject them to the necessary scrutiny. So what happened?

“The vote to triple tuition fees came first before any White Paper, surely the wrong way round. Then the changes on access and widening participation were forced out, with subsequent changes to those plans.

“As fees levels began to emerge with £9,000 looking to be far from the exception to the rule which the Government promised, their sums didn’t add up and a black hole came into view. First Ministers ignored this and claimed it would all even out in the end. But their miscalculation saw a scramble to claw back in other ways. There were exhortations; claims OFFA was now a regulator and would set levels; even threats to universities with Ministers crudely claiming that fee levels were so high because universities were inefficient.

“Let’s take a step back and reflect on that particular claim for a moment - in business, companies have to factor in risk and cost it. You are businesses too and this Government has displayed an abject lesson in creating unnecessary risk for you.

“So the White Paper arrives at the end of June of this year. When the threats failed, frankly because of the mess the Government had created, they pulled ‘core and margin’ and AAB out of a hat which they then bolted onto the original plans.

“This is no way to run government policy on Higher Education – this is no way to treat our universities. Vince Cable called his dismantling of the RDAs Maoist and chaotic. It could equally have applied to another area of his brief. The reforms are not the evolutionary change UK has argued for.”

Umunna also said: “It strikes at the root of what Ed Miliband has called the Promise of Britain – that the next generation should do better than the last.”

How is this news going to affect the price of garri?

Because he is not yorooba 'ofe mmanu' man. Why not go and create thread where una go dey discuss garri and fish head. Poverty people.

blink182:

How is this news going to affect the price of garri?

Rofl

@Topic,Good for him.

I feel the boy is more Briton than Nigerian.He might not be able to point out his father's Obi.I could be wrong though.

@Chyz whats the problem with 'isi azu'?highly nutritious.lol

So?

tell me what it is you will stand to gain if he is elected as britain's first black prime minister ?- which, by the way is highly unlikely because in case you havent noticed white english people make up 83% of the population in the UK and will never vote for him.

this guy is just another black puppet who has been slotted in to make up the numbers and has zero impact on the lives of ordinary black people in the UK not to talk of nigerians.

if you sit down and have a conversation with him i can guarantee you that he does not even see himself as a nigerian and it is very likely that he is married to a white woman so whats your point?

Has he Ever visited Home? Like The Real Obama did long long long ago? No! Coz that kid surely ain't black 2 me! Doesn't see see himself as one either!

Has he Ever visited Home? Like The Real Obama did long long long ago? No! Coz that kid surely ain't black 2 me! Doesn't see see himself as one either!

mirageeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Who told He hasnt visisted Nigeria. Un a gp just come dey yarn nonsense.

cashmentor:

Has he Ever visited Home? Like The Real Obama did long long long ago? No! Coz that kid surely ain't black 2 me! Doesn't see see himself as one either!

That will be the day.

Mumu poster, my expression was figurative. Others here have also asked †ђξ same question. How does it affect Africa or Nigeria?

Wahoooooooooo. GEJ should bring these people in diaspora to Nig. so they can help develop it.

_{Dis Guy should distance himself to Nigeria and run from GEJ as much as possible},

The British media can link abacha to Antarctica if push comes to shove

@CAP28

He has already been voted for, though I think you are saying people will not vote labour in once they realise he will be the beneficiary of such votes.

cashmentor:

Has he Ever visited Home? Like The Real Obama did long long long ago? No! Coz that kid surely ain't black 2 me! Doesn't see see himself as one either!

Did you ask him whether he has visited home and he said no?

hercules07:

@CAP28

He has already been voted for, though I think you are saying people will not vote labour in once they realise he will be the beneficiary of such votes.

you got it bro, there's no way he can ever be prime minister of britain especially with the rise of far right groups in this country.

As a matter of fact Nick Griffin of the BNP stands a better chance of winning the prime ministerial position (although this too will never happen) than Chuka Ummunna.

I am not too bothered about a black man winning any election in the UK or the US, they will not favour Nigerians, so, why should I care.

British-Biafran Obama.

seanet02:

mirageeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

a very juicy one indeed . . .lol

British-Biafran Obama.

seanet02:

mirageeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

a very juicy one indeed . . .lol

He's a Briton and i'm a Nigerian so how im own conjoin me?

To be quite honest, I'm not excited.

I doubt if any ibo blood is in this guy,why has he not kidnap elizabeth for ransome ?

At least he is better than awolowo that drank otapiapia because the small military boys were using him rough.

How will his mandate affect nigeria and nigerian's in briton? i hope this is the question here.

the answer is :
1) the same way the possition of joseph profited the jews
2) the same way the possition of moses profited the jews
3) the same way the possition of obama help to put to a still the troubles looming in kenya
4)the same way the possition of nehemaiah help the jews.

listen like it or not if he eventualy got that post he will surely do one or two to favor us.
a thing we long espect. i know our problem,if the guy is a yoruba man,the yoruba's will be
speaking good of him while others will be wishing him bad. wat are we realy doing to ourself.

a yoruba,a MB,ND and others stand a chance to gain one or two from this man as a nigeria if he wins.

If he wins the post british policies against nigeria will change authomaticaly.
if we are still in doubt of if he see himself as a nigeria or a british?
how does obama see himself?a kenyan or an american?
why are we enemy of progress?

the young man made it this far without our help,so he will surely make it to the top
without us just by the same God that has sein him through.

blv it or not he will make it, that is my own prayer for him. as far as he is not an anti christ.

[b]British parliamenterian backs bill on corrupt African leaders
13 September 2010

Mansur Oladunjoye, Alausa


Nigerian in the British Parliament, Chuka Umunna, has supported the call for ban on the visit of corrupt Nigerian politicians and their families, to any member-country of the European Union, in addition to freezing their assets.

Umunna blamed Nigeria�s persistent under-development on corrupt leadership. British parliamentarian backs bill on corrupt African leaders, Umunna, a Labour Member of Parliament for Streatham spoke recently at a meeting with the Citizens for Change, a United Kingdom (UK) registered charity organisation made up Nigerian professionals at Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament in London.

In an email sent to the Daily Champion, the MP expressed his disappointment on the state of Nigeria and Africa, recalling early 1990�s at an the wake of Nelson Mandela�s release, Nigeria and South Africa were the drivers of Africa�s renaissance. The Chairman Board of Trustees of Citizens for Change, Mr. Theodore Emiantor, (a Registered Auditor from Edo State) who graced the occasion congratulated Umunna on his election and reiterated the pride of Nigerians by having one of their own in the �Mother of Parliaments�.

According to him, Citizens for Change was dedicated to improving the welfare of people in Nigeria through community development projects, anti corruption and good governance campaigns, reasoning that "the key to resolving Nigeria�s problems were credible elections, which informed the current campaign in which the group has written to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, the US Office for Asset Control, the US State Department and Baroness Ashton the EU Foreign Minister, requesting immediate travel bans and financial sanctions on all corrupt Nigerian politicians, their family members and agents."

Explaining further, the reasons behind their current actions, Chidi Nwaonu, another Nigerian from Imo State explained that the impunity with which corrupt individuals operated, discouraged honest and competent people to contest elections or work in government, comparing corruption in Nigeria to Indonesia, where the dictators held onto economic and political power but still invested their loot in their own country�s infrastructure and economy.

"Nigeria politicians merely stole as much as possible and salted it away abroad," agreeing that a travel ban and asset freeze would force corrupt officials and their families to remain in the country to endure the same conditions their actions may have caused fellow citizens he lamented.[/b]

This is from the same man. how do we mean that the young man cannot contribute
a thing to our development. my dear its time for us to love ourselfs.

if this guy is an Arabian, by now even most of the nigerians in briton and
here in nigeria will like him to win. and the vast of muslim community in briton
will be looking for a way or two to support him going.

now he is one of us,  jealous and hatread has come calling.
incase we dont know igbos has history of developing the land they live in
and at same time the land of their father. no igbo son can forget home completely

I like chuka is very intelligent black english geezer but the two face white english racists are not ready for any color people prime minister..

Bwahahahahahaha!!

He'll become the prime minister of Streatham, not the UK... He should try becoming the Mayor of London, before blowing his own trumpet..

I give him zero chance of winning!! Stale news!!

Most of you guys don't even know black people are not even up to 3% of the population, and most don't even vote...

If some of you guys step out of London - you'll discover than blacks are not welcomed in the UK... I have been to places just at the outskirt of London, where oyinbos were looking at me like they've never seen a black guy before.

shymmex: Bwahahahahahaha!!

He'll become the prime minister of Streatham, not the UK... He should try becoming the Mayor of London, before blowing his own trumpet..

I give him zero chance of winning!! Stale news!!

Most of you guys don't even know black people are not even up to 3% of the population, and most don't even vote...

If some of you guys step out of London - you'll discover than blacks are not welcomed in the UK... I have been to places just in the outskirt of London, where oyinbos were looking at me like they've never seen a black guy before.

true, you were lucky they didn't come over to ask if you speak English or ask to take a picture with you.
Britons would rather vote a BNP candidate as pm instead of a coloured candidate.

chino11: Because he is not yorooba 'ofe mmanu' man. Why not go and create thread where una go dey discuss garri and fish head. Poverty people.

chuka is a smart politician, i like him he plays his rules nicely.As nwa afo he knows what his doing respect man i wish him well in future biafran territoriality will finally be accomplished

cap28: So?

tell me what it is you will stand to gain if he is elected as britain's first black prime minister ?- which, by the way is highly unlikely because in case you havent noticed white english people make up 83% of the population in the UK and will never vote for him.

this guy is just another black puppet who has been slotted in to make up the numbers and has zero impact on the lives of ordinary black people in the UK not to talk of nigerians.

if you sit down and have a conversation with him i can guarantee you that he does not even see himself as a nigerian and it is very likely that he is married to a white woman so whats your point?

CO-SIGN....Dude is just a Political toy that the British Elite put out
there becos the USA have their puppet Obama who dad was also African...