First Chinese-born MP Yuan Yang 'felt like an outsider' when she came to UK as child

WATCH: Yuan Yang speaks to ITV News Meridian as part of a series of reports profiling new MPs in the South of England

The first Chinese-born member of the House of Commons has revealed she felt like 'an outsider' when she first emigrated to the UK as a child.

Yuan Yang made history when she was elected as the MP for the new constituency of Earley and Woodley in Berkshire in July.

She didn’t speak a word of English when her family moved to England from China when she was four years old.

The MP told ITV News: “I think the impact of my parents and my upbringing on politics is to be able to see what it's like to navigate the UK as an outsider without the connections, without the wealth.

“My parents reminded me of that when I was growing up. My mum reminded me a lot that we couldn't rely on those things that many other families had.”

Yuan Yang couldn't speak English when she first moved to the UK with her parents aged four. Credit: Yuan Yang MP / family photo

The Labour MP lives in the constituency she now represents, a seat she won with a majority of just 848.

The former Financial Times journalist counts ex-prime minister Theresa May as one of her new constituents.

In her maiden speech to Parliament on 30 July, Yuan Yang said: “Most of the households in my constituency have never been part of a Labour seat, so for many residents I am their first Labour MP in history.

“I will work hard continuously to earn the trust of every one of my constituents, although it may be some time before I win over the former Member for Maidenhead, Theresa May.”

Like many other new MPs, she has spent the summer parliamentary recess recruiting staff and holding meetings with organisations in the local community.

  • The former journalist speaks to ITV Meridian about moving to Britain with her parents as a child

Asked if she had ministerial ambitions in the future, Ms Yang replied: “The most important thing for me right now is that we build a really strong constituency office.

“A lot of people are very disengaged with politics right now. A lot of people have been disillusioned with the politics of the last 14 years.

“It's going to require a lot of work for us to turn that around; to win people's trust.”

With the prime minister warning of a 'painful' Budget in October, many new Labour MPs with slim majorities will be conscious of the challenge they could face to keep hold of their seats at the next general election.

Regardless of what the electorate decides in the future, Yuan Yang’s family story means she has already earned a place in British political history.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...