Munira Mirza

Munira Mirza (born May 1978) is a British political advisor who has served as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit since her appointment by incoming Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 24 July 2019.[1] She previously worked under Johnson as Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture when he was Mayor of London.[2]

Munira Mirza
Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit
Assumed office
24 July 2019
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJames Marshall
Personal details
EducationBreeze Hill School
Oldham Sixth Form College
Alma materMansfield College, Oxford
University of Kent

Early life and education

Mirza's family came to the United Kingdom from Pakistan;[3][4] her father found work in a factory while her mother was a housewife and taught Urdu part-time.[5] Mirza was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, North West England and had two older brothers and an older sister.[6] She went to Breeze Hill School until 16, then moved to Oldham Sixth Form College for her A-levels.[7] She was the only pupil in her Sixth Form college to gain a place at Oxford University,[8] studying English Literature at Mansfield College, graduating in 1999. She then completed an MA in Social Research in 2004 and a PhD in Sociology in 2009, both at the University of Kent.[9][10][11][12]

Career

Early on, Mirza was involved in revolutionary politics,[13] including being a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a small group that dissolved in 1997.[14][5] She contributed to its magazine, Living Marxism, which was dissolved after losing a libel case to ITN over the Bosnian genocide. The magazine was replaced by the Spiked website, for which she has written articles.[15]

Many of Mirza's Revolutionary Communist Party colleagues became influential in Conservative Party Eurosceptic circles after the dissolution of their party, while remaining closely associated with each other's endeavours.[16]

Mirza has said that "I became a bit of a 'museums junkie' in my early twenties. My first job in the arts sector was at the Royal Society of Arts, where I became especially interested in the politics of culture – why we value what we do, how to make the arts more accessible, and why public interest in the arts matters. From there, I started a PhD in Sociology, looking particularly at the politics of culture."[17] She worked briefly at the Tate Gallery.[17]

During 2005 to 2007, Mirza worked as Development Director for the conservative think-tank Policy Exchange.[18] While she was there she edited a collection of essays, Culture Vultures: Is UK Arts Policy Damaging the Arts?, which challenged the government's efforts to promote socially inclusive arts.[19][20] and wrote Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism.[21]

In December 2009, she appeared in the BBC Radio 4 programme Great Lives, nominating the political philosopher Hannah Arendt.[22]

From 2008 to 2016, Mirza worked for the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson,[23] initially as Cultural Adviser, and Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Industries. From 2012, she was one of six Deputy Mayors, being Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture.[5][24] She advised the Mayor on priorities for culture and education and led the delivery of key programmes, including £40m education and youth investment in London.[25] In 2014, Mirza said that she was not a Conservative.[5][6]

Her book The Politics of Culture: The Case for Universalism was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2012.[26] In it she argued that consensus about the value of cultural diversity had bred ambivalence.[27]

In 2016, Mirza was a vocal advocate of Brexit, a stance which, in cultural circles, she later described as "the new being gay".[28] She said the referendum result was achieved through a process of democracy that, in some way, echoed Magna Carta.[29]

In 2018, Mirza was mentioned by the New Statesman as a possible Conservative Party candidate for the 2020 London Mayoral election.[30]

In January 2019, she joined King's College London as Executive Director of Culture, leading the institution's cultural strategy together with oversight of the Science Gallery London at Guy's Campus.[31]

On 24 July 2019, following her former boss Johnson becoming Prime Minister, Mirza was appointed Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit, replacing James Marshall.[1] Mirza has drafted financial policy in this role.[32][33][34]

Johnson has spoken of her as "extraordinary", "ruthless", and one of "the five women who have shaped my life".[35]

In 2020, ITV political editor Robert Peston said in The Spectator that calls for the BBC's "cultural re-education", which many assumed came from Johnson's former adviser Dominic Cummings, actually came from Mirza and her husband.[36]

Arts involvements

Mirza is a member of Arts Council England, London Area Council; and the board of the Institute of Contemporary Arts.[37] Mirza has a record of advocating for public investment in the arts, but has also warned that organisations will need to become "more entrepreneurial and look for ways to stretch their resources", including through corporate sponsorship.[27]

Views on multiculturalism and racism

In 2006, Mirza was critical of the multiculturalism encouraged by New Labour, claiming that it accentuated differences between groups, encouraging conflict; she stated that treating people differently "fuels a sense of exclusion".[28] Mirza stands firmly against the anti-racism movement, describing it as "bogus moral crusade" imported from the USA, "...with its demented campus dramas and neuroses about 'safe spaces', 'micro-aggressions' and 'cultural appropriation'".[38]

She has attracted criticism for saying that "it seems that a lot of people in politics think it's a good idea to exaggerate the problem of racism", noting that Theresa May's proposed racial disparities audit for public services set the scene for "another bout of political self-flagellation regarding the subject of race in Britain", whilst "accusations of institutional racism — and their official endorsement — have corroded BAME communities' trust in public services, thereby making things worse."[3][4] As well as calling May's racial disparities audit a "phoney race war", Mirza also described The Lammy Review of 2017 into the treatment of BAME groups in the justice system as "wrongheaded" and "misleading".[38]

On Johnson's column criticising Denmark for banning the burqa,[39] in which he likened the garment's wearers to 'bank robbers' and 'letterboxes', she said "there are many people in this country who are uncomfortable about the burqa. When people argue we should use more sensitive language what they are really saying is let's not be critical at all, let's not offend, let's not criticise this practice because it upsets Muslims",[3][4] further defending Johnson's comments as "reasoned, balanced and thoughtful".[40]

Regarding the Windrush scandal, Mirza claimed that "the real lesson is not one of racism, as in the deliberate targeting of ethnic minority groups, rather it is that the process of immigration enforcement needs to be improved".[41]

In June 2020, following the George Floyd protests, Mirza was asked to establish a commission on racial inequalities. Her involvement attracted controversy, given her previous comments about institutional racism not existing, and her criticism of previous reports on racial inequality.[42]

Political views

Mirza is believed to have strong libertarian views.[43]

Personal life

Mirza is married to Dougie Smith, a former senior Conservative party aide.[44] She had a son in 2013.[5]

References
  1. "Sky Executive Among Johnson's First Appointments". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  2. "Munira Mirza, revolutionary conservative". The Economist. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  3. Syal, Rajeev; Mason, Rowena; O'Carroll, Lisa (23 July 2019). "Sky executive among Johnson's first appointments" – via www.theguardian.com.
  4. "Controversial Munira Mirza amongst Johnson's first appointments". 25 July 2019.
  5. Bowie, Jess (17 July 2014). "London Calling: Munira Mirza interview". totalpolitics. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  6. "Deputy mayor Munira Mirza: 'Culture is more than just institutions'". Evening Standard. 19 February 2014.
  7. "Oldham Sixth Form College - Dr Munira Mirza". Association of Colleges. 8 September 2014.
  8. "I was privileged to get to Oxford — I want the same for others, says". Evening Standard. 19 October 2012.
  9. Akbhor, Rehubia (17 June 2014). "London's deputy mayor pays tribute to teachers at Oldham Sixth Form College". Manchester Evening News.
  10. Jury, Louise (14 May 2008). "It's time for a rethink on the fourth plinth, says Mayor's new culture and arts director". Evening Standard.
  11. King’s People - Munira Mirza. King’s College London.
  12. "Munira Mirza". Mayor of London: Mayoral Team. Greater London Authority. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  13. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/munira-mirza-pms-nonsense-detector-who-has-attacked-racism-claims
  14. Wooldridge, Adrian (22 August 2019). "The Downing Street Policy Unit, Boris Johnson's brain". The Economist. London. Retrieved 29 September 2019. The head of the Policy Unit, Munira Mirza, is a former member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a Trotskyite groupuscule, and enthusiastic contributor to its house organ, Living Marxism.
  15. "Spiked- M Mirza's articles". Spiked online. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  16. Turner, Jenny. "Who Are They? Jenny Turner reports from the Battle of Ideas". London Review of Books. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  17. "Munira Mirza | Metal Magazine". metalmagazine.eu.
  18. "Munira Mirza". Policy Exchange. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  19. "Culture Vultures: Is UK Arts Policy Damaging the Arts?" (PDF). Policy Exchange. 19 January 2006. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  20. "New Report Critical of Money Spent on "Diversity" Arts". AIM Magazine. Asians in Media. 30 January 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  21. "Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism". Policy Exchange. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  22. "Great Lives". RadioListings. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  23. Mirza, Munira (25 November 2018). "Munira Mirza: London should celebrate the Pilgrim Fathers".
  24. "Profile: Munira Mirza". The Guardian. London. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  25. "Munira Mirza". newlondonarchitecture.org.
  26. "The Politics of Culture". Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  27. "Boris Johnson and Munira Mirza: dream team or death knell for the arts?". ArtsProfessional.
  28. Bickerton, James (6 November 2019). "Meet the ex-communist trying to save Boris Johnson". The Article. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  29. "Munira Mirza on Brexit: Magna Carta is reminder of democracy | Videos". Express.co.uk. 19 January 2018.
  30. "Sadiq Khan's Conservative Opponents Can't Win. Which Means They Can't Lose Either". New Statesman.
  31. "Munira Mirza Joins King's as Executive Director Culture". King's College London. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  32. Wheeler, Caroline. "Women behind Boris Johnson's blueprint" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  33. Sebastian Payne (13 September 2019). "Inside No 10: Under siege but still defiant". Financial Times.
  34. "Dominic Cummings' salary revealed as spending on special advisers rises". Politics Home. 25 February 2020.
  35. Andy Beckett (1 August 2020). "Why Boris Johnson's Tories fell for a tiny sect of libertarian provocateurs". The Guardian.
  36. Peston, Robert (21 November 2020). "Diary". The Spectator. p. 9. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  37. "Munira Mirza". www.cps.org.uk.
  38. Mirza, Munira (13 September 2017). "Theresa May's phoney race war is dangerous and divisive". The Spectator. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  39. Johnson, Boris (5 August 2018). "Denmark has got it wrong. Yes, the burka is oppressive and ridiculous – but that's still no reason to ban it". Telegraph. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  40. Mirza, Munira (10 August 2018). "Critiquing Islamist fundamentalist practice is not an 'attack on Muslim women'". Conservative Home. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  41. Mirza, Munira (12 May 2018). "Weaponising Victimhood". All in Britain. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  42. Walker, Peter (15 June 2020). "Dismay as No 10 adviser is chosen to set up UK race inequality commission". The Guardian.
  43. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/factory-workers-daughter-with-roots-on-radical-left-has-johnsons-ear-b9lbzhck6
  44. Elliot, John (22 June 2003). "Top Tory aide is king of urban swingers". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
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