Ibrahim Taguri

Ibrahim Taguri (born September 1978) is a British community worker and political candidate. He is the former Race Equality Champion of the Liberal Democrats, announced in the role by party leader Nick Clegg on 21 January 2015^[1][2][3] at a meeting of Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats.^[4] In December 2013 Taguri was selected to succeed Sarah Teather MP as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London constituency of Brent Central in the 2015 general election.^[2][5]

Taguri is also a former undefeated British boxer,^[6] and he last fought in 2008.^[7]

Early life and education

Taguri was born in Brent and grew up in Willesden Green, London, England. In a 2014 interview, he said: "My parents came here in 1977 to escape the Gaddafi regime in Libya and my mum was at the time one of the few females going through university. She was going to become a lawyer but because of the nature of the regime, they decided to leave and they came here as cleaners to start again. So I grew up in social housing till I was thirteen.... There was a very heavy threat of homelessness that hung over the family for several years."^[8]

Taguri attended Latymer Upper School, one of the last pupils to benefit from the Assisted Places Scheme, and went on to study English Literature and Language at the University of Reading. When he was in his early twenties he took up boxing and had his debut fight at the York Hall, Bethnal Green.^[7]

Political career

For more than 15 years Taguri has worked for several London-based charities in campaigning and fundraising capacities^[9][10] (including within the hospice movement and with children's charities),^[11] and most recently for the Liberal Democrats,^[7] before being chosen to run as their candidate for the 2015 election in the Brent Central seat previously held (since 2003) by Sarah Teather.^[5][12] He states that his mission in politics is to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020.^{[11][needs update?]} In the course of his campaigning, he compared politics to boxing, as they both are "all about preparation and training. It's not what happens on polling day, it's what happens in the months before."^[13] Taguri though was forced to stand down as fundraiser, race and equality champion and candidate when he was caught in a sting operation by The Daily Telegraph apparently accepting donations in exchange for access, as well as suggesting ways of funneling the donations to hide their origins.^[14]

Taguri has written for publications including the New Statesman and the Huffington Post, writing about issues that reflect his concerns, which include UK immigration policy, informed by his own experience as the eldest child of a working-class immigrant family;^[15] increasing parents' access to affordable childcare, improving educational standards and fighting poverty through radical tax reform, defending civil liberties in the UK and abroad,^[11][16][17] and environmental topics such as fracking.^[18]

Personal life

Taguri is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC.^[19]

References

1. Nathalie Raffray, "Brent Central candidate Ibrahim Taguri named as the Lib Dem’s race equality champion", Brent & Kilburn Times, 23 January 2015.
2. "Ibrahim Taguri named Liberal Democrat Race Equality Champion" (news release), Liberal Democrats, 22 January 2015.
3. "Brent Central’s Ibrahim Taguri appointed as Liberal Democrat Race Equality Champion", Liberal Democrat Voice, 23 January 2015.
4. Lester Holloway, "Al Sharpton: 'Blacks Not Voting Is Lazy And Ungrateful'", The Voice, 26 January 2015.
5. "Ibrahim Taguri selected as Lib Dem candidate for Brent Central", Sarah Teather and Brent Liberal Democrats, 20 December 2013.
6. "Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Visits North London Rescue for National Dog Adoption Month", National Dog Adoption Month, 5 November 2014.
7. "About Ibrahim", Official website.
8. Alexander Woolley, "Not pulling any punches: Our interview with Ibrahim Taguri", 50 for 15, 6 October 2014.
9. Lorraine King, "Willesden man Ibrahim Taguri selected as Liberal Democrats candidate for Brent Central", Brent & Kilburn Times, 21 December 2013.
10. Brent Central, UK Polling Report.
11. Ibrahim Taguri biography at Huffington Post.
12. Lewis Baston, "Marginal and semimarginal LD seats", The next generation: rising stars for 2015, Westbourne, pp. 23, 25, 29, 64.
13. Laura Archer, "In the ring with 50 for 15", Liberal Democrats, 6 October 2014.
14. Newell, Claire; Malnick, Edward; Fayaz, Syed; Telford, Lyndsey; Heighton, Luke (11 May 2016). "Lib Dem donor scandal: dodgy donation received by Nick Clegg's party". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
15. "Immigration: do you want the truth or something beautiful?", The Staggers blog, 24 November 2014.
16. Ibrahim Taguri, "It’s time for the truth: it’s time to publish the Chilcot Inquiry", The Staggers blog, 12 November 2014.
17. Ibrahim Taguri, "The Chilcot Inquiry – When Will We Finally Get the Truth?", HuffPost blog, 21 January 2015.
18. Ibrahim Taguri, "Fracking Is Not Right for Today's Families or Tomorrow's Environment", HuffPost blog, 28 January 2015.
19. "Ibrahim Taguri: Brent Central – Liberal Democrat Race Equality Champion", Liberal Democrats.

External links

• Ibrahim Taguri at twitter @ibrahimtaguri
• Myron Jobson, "It will be a ‘tough job’ as an MP says Lib Dem candidate for Brent Central" (profile of Ibrahim Taguri), Brent & Kilburn Times, 16 January 2014.