What I lack in height, I will make up for in voice: First British MP of Turkish-Kurdish origin
After becoming the first Turkish-Kurdish origin MP to enter British parliament, Feryal Clark joked about her height in her address to the Commons. "What I lack in height, I will make up for in voice," Clark, who is also the first Alevi MP, said. "As a refugee child who arrived in Britain 30 years ago, I could never have dreamed I'd have the privilege and responsibility to serve my adopted country as a Member of Parliament," she said.
Duvar English
Feryal Clark became the first Turkish-Kurdish origin MP to enter British parliament, joking about her height in her maiden speech.
"What I lack in height, I will make up for in voice," Clark, who is also the first Alevi MP, said in her address to the Commons.
Labor MP Clark was elected with 51 percent of the votes in Enfield North.
"As a refugee child who arrived in Britain 30 years ago, I could never have dreamed I'd have the privilege and responsibility to serve my adopted country as a Member of Parliament," she said.
"I'm the first MP of Turkish-Kurdish heritage to be elected into parliament. I'm also the first MP of the Alevi religion, which although there are between 300,000 and 500,000 believers in the U.K. are underrepresented in public office," Clark added.
I was delighted to make my maiden speech for Enfield North yesterday; I still can’t believe I have the privilege and responsibility of representing you all.
— Feryal Clark MP (@FeryalClark) January 17, 2020
What I lack in height - I will make up for in voice! ??
Watch in full here: https://t.co/j3JtfwsEGC pic.twitter.com/3u7usXR7dd
After explaining her heritage, Clark added: "I also thought I might be arriving as the shortest MP."
"But I'm assured that at 5ft I'm a whole half an inch taller than my honorable friend the member for Hampstead and Kilburn. I hope we can be an inspiration to vertically-challenged women everywhere," she also said.