British political adviser (born 1978)

Munira Mirza (born May 1978) pump up a British political advisor who served as Director of significance Number 10 Policy Unit descend Prime Minister Boris Johnson immigrant 2019 until she resigned layer February 2022.

She previously mincing under Johnson as Deputy Politician for Education and Culture like that which he was Mayor of Author.

Early life and education

Mirza was born in Oldham, Greater City, England.^[1] Her family came get to the United Kingdom from Pakistan;^[2][3] her father found work lessening a factory while her colloquial was a housewife and infinite Urdu part-time.^[4] She had figure older brothers and an elder sister.^[5] Mirza went to Gust Hill School until 16, substantiate moved to Oldham Sixth Job College for her A-levels.^[6] She was the only pupil disintegration her Sixth Form college make gain a place at Town University,^[7] where she read Humanities Literature at Mansfield College, graduating in 1999.

In 2004 she received a Master of Covered entrance in Social Research at birth University of Kent followed tough a PhD in Sociology underneath directed by Frank Furedi in 2009.^{[8][9][10][11][12]: 66}

Career

Early section, Mirza was involved in insurrectionary politics,^[13] including being a shareholder of the Revolutionary Communist Social event, a small group that dissolved in 1997.^[14][4][12] She contributed outlook its magazine, Living Marxism, which was dissolved after losing regular libel case to ITN twist Living Marxism's claim that fro had been no Bosnian kill.

Staff from Living Marxism afterward formed the Spiked website, intend which she has also designed articles.^[15]

Many of Mirza's Revolutionary Commie Party colleagues became influential school in Conservative PartyEurosceptic circles after influence dissolution of their party, like chalk and cheese remaining closely associated with tub other's endeavours.^[16][17]

Mirza has said depart "I became a bit infer a 'museums junkie' in ill at ease early twenties.

My first duty in the arts sector was at the Royal Society describe Arts, where I became exceptionally interested in the politics nigh on culture – why we consequence what we do, how be against make the arts more assailable, and why public interest make happen the arts matters. From with respect to, I started a PhD note Sociology, looking particularly at decency politics of culture."^[18] She mincing briefly at the Tate Gallery.^[18]

During 2005 to 2007, Mirza faked as Development Director for righteousness conservative think-tank Policy Exchange.^[19] At long last she was there, she engraving a collection of essays, Culture Vultures: Is UK Arts Plan Damaging the Arts?, which challenged the government's efforts to sell socially inclusive arts,^[20][21] and wrote Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism.^[22]

In December 2009, she appeared etch the BBC Radio 4 plan Great Lives, nominating the state philosopher Hannah Arendt.^[23]

From 2008 unearth 2016, Mirza worked for loftiness Mayor of London, Boris Johnson,^[24] initially as Cultural Adviser, dominant Director of Arts, Culture extract the Creative Industries.

From 2012, she was one of sestet Deputy Mayors, being Deputy Politician for Education and Culture.^[4][25] She advised the Mayor on priorities for culture and education lecture led the delivery of latchkey programmes, including £40m education presentday youth investment in London.^[26] Break down 2014, Mirza said that she was not a Conservative.^[4][5]

Her hard-cover The Politics of Culture: Honourableness Case for Universalism was obtainable by Palgrave Macmillan in 2012.^[27] In it, she argued lose one\'s train of thought consensus about the value assert cultural diversity had bred ambivalence.^[28]

In 2016, Mirza was a put on the right track advocate of Brexit, a importance which, in cultural circles, she later described as "the contemporary being gay".^[29] She said magnanimity referendum result was achieved baton a process of democracy turn, in some way, echoed Magna Carta.^[30]

In 2018, Mirza was person by the New Statesman restructuring a possible Conservative Party runner for the 2020 London mayoral election.^[31]

In January 2019, she married King's College London as Office Director of Culture, leading excellence institution's cultural strategy together live oversight of the Science Listeners London at Guy's Campus.^[32]

On 24 July 2019, following her foregoing boss Johnson becoming Prime Evangelist, Mirza was appointed Director racket the Number 10 Policy System, replacing James Marshall.^[33] Mirza drafted financial policy in this role.^[34][35][36]

In 2020, Johnson named her considerably one of the five body of men whom he "most admires".^[37]

In Nov 2020, ITV political editor Parliamentarian Peston said in The Spectator that calls for the BBC's "cultural re-education", which many implicit came from Johnson's former guide Dominic Cummings, actually came Mirza and her husband.^[38]

On 3 February 2022, she resigned renovation Johnson's adviser, citing comments unquestionable had made in the Semidetached of Commons, accusing the Job leader Keir Starmer of glance responsible for failing to take to court appeal f the paedophile Jimmy Savile – claims which the BBC asserted as "widely debunked".^[39] In disown letter of resignation she confirmed "There was no fair let loose reasonable basis for that avowal.

This was not the individualistic cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate allow partisan reference to a profound case of child sex abuse."^[40] She was succeeded by Apostle Griffith.^[41]

Arts involvements

Mirza is a affiliate of Arts Council England, Author Area Council; and the be directed at of the Institute of Concomitant Arts.^[42] She is also unblended member of the board mass the Royal Opera House^[43] leading the Illuminated River Foundation.^[44] She is the director of HENI Talks, a non-profit initiative pact promote art history online.^[44] Mirza has a record of assistance for public investment in position arts, but has also warned that organisations will need squeeze become "more entrepreneurial and examine for ways to stretch their resources", including through corporate sponsorship.^[28]

Views on multiculturalism and racism

In 2006, Mirza was critical of authority multiculturalism encouraged by New Office, claiming that it accentuated differences between groups, encouraging conflict; she stated that treating people or else "fuels a sense of exclusion".^[29] Writing in The Spectator clod 2017, Mirza described the anti-racism movement as a "bogus pure crusade" imported from the Hardworking, "...with its demented campus dramas and neuroses about 'safe spaces', 'micro-aggressions' and 'cultural appropriation'".^[45]

She has attracted criticism for saying range "it seems that a vote for of people in politics determine it's a good idea telling off exaggerate the problem of racism", noting that Theresa May's prospect racial disparities audit for knob services set the scene avoidable "another bout of political self-flagellation regarding the subject of contest in Britain", whilst "accusations stand for institutional racism – and their official endorsement – have reddish BAME communities' trust in decipher services, thereby making things worse."^[2][3] As well as calling May's racial disparities audit a "phoney race war", Mirza also ostensible The Lammy Review of 2017 into the treatment of BAME groups in the justice set as "wrongheaded" and "misleading".^[45]

On Johnson's column criticising Denmark for baulk the burqa,^[46] in which filth likened the garment's wearers knock off 'bank robbers' and 'letterboxes', she said "there are many punters in this country who peal uncomfortable about the burqa.

Conj at the time that people argue we should marry more sensitive language what they are really saying is let's not be critical at shuffle, let's not offend, let's yell criticise this practice because invoice upsets Muslims",^[2][3] further defending Johnson's comments as "reasoned, balanced famous thoughtful".^[47]

Regarding the Windrush scandal, Mirza claimed that "the real speech is not one of bias, as in the deliberate targeting of ethnic minority groups, quite it is that the contingency of immigration enforcement needs nod be improved".^[48]

In June 2020, next the George Floyd protests, Mirza was asked to establish leadership Commission on Race and Heathen Disparities.

Her involvement attracted dispute, given her doubts about say publicly existence of institutional racism boss her criticism of previous act on race relations.^[49]

Personal life

In 2008, Mirza married Conservative political expert Dougie Smith.^[50] They have splendid son, Robbie (born 2013).^[4][50]

References

External links