UK general elections: A record number of UK Pakistanis could reach British Parliament

LONDON: A record number of British Pakistanis could reach the British Parliament after the general elections scheduled to be held on 13th December 2019.

For the first time, Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats have given tickets to more than 70 candidates of British Pakistani origin in this election – the total number of candidates bigger than at any time before. Many candidates are also standing as independents. Most British Pakistani candidates are from the Conservative Party but candidates on the Labour tickets have greater chance of winning.

Conservative Party has fielded 19 candidates of Pakistani origin. The list includes current chancellor Sajid Javid who’s been part of the parliament since 2010 from Bromsgrove in Warwickshire. Other notable candidates are Nusrat Ghani, Rehman Chishti and Saqib Bhatti. Nusrat Ghani has served as the Minister for Transport and was elected first in 2015 from Wealde in Southeast. She was the first female of Pakistani origin to represent Conservatives in the House of Commons.

Rehman Chishti, who is PM’s special envoy for religious freedom, was first elected from Gillingham & Reinham in 2010. The most interesting candidate in the list is Saqib Bhatti who is from Birmingham but has been awarded ticket in these elections from one of the safest Conservative seats - Meriden in Warwickshire. An accountant by profession, Saqib Bhatti is also the current president of Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. He is the first Muslim and youngest Pakistani to hold this position.

Others who are contesting from Conservative Party’s platform are Iftikhar Ahmed (Barnsley Central), Mohammad Afzal (Bradford West), Ex MEP Amjad Bashir (Leeds North-East), Kashif Ali (Halifax), Imran Ahmad-Khan (Wakefield).

From Greater London region Noshaba Khilji (Leyton & Wanstead) and Ali Azeem (Ilford South) will be taking on their Labour rivals. From Greater Manchester region Atiffa Shah (Rochdale), Attika Chaudhary (Salford & Eccles), Tayyab Amjad (Stalybridge & Hyde) and Mussadak Mirza (Stretford & Urmston) are standing on Tory tickets.

Also in the Conservative list are Wass (Wasim) Mughal (Sefton Central, Lancashire), Ahmed Ejaz (Wolverhampton South East), Pervaiz Akhtar (Luton South) and Haroun Malik (Inverclyde, Scotland).

Conservative Party’s candidates: 19 candidates of Pakistani origin are vying for a seat in Parliament on Labour Party’s ticket Among them are Khalid Mahmood, who has been winning from Birmingham-Perry Barr since 2001 and is currently the senior most Muslim parliamentarian of Pakistani origin; Shabana Mahmood (elected first in 2010) from Birmingham-Ladywood; Yasmeen Qureshi (elected first in 2010) from Bolton-South East; Naz Shah (first elected in 2010) from Bradford-West; Imran Hussain (first elected in 2010) from Bradford-East; Dr Rosena Allin-Khan from Tooting (who replaced local MP Sadiq Khan when he became Mayor of London); Afzal Khan from Manchester-Gorton; Faisal Rashid (elected first in 2017) from Warrington-South; and Mohammed Yasin (elected first in 2017) from Bedford.

The new prospective parliamentary candidates from Labour Party are: Tahir Ali (Birmingham-Hall Green), Zarat Sultana (Coventry South); Azhar Ali (Pendle); Khalil Ahmed (Wycombe); Zahid Chauhan (Cheadle); Nabila Ahmed (Hemel Hempstead); Faiza Shaheen (Chingford & South Woodford); Marina Ahmed (Beckenham); Ahmed Nawaz Watttoo (Carshalton and Wallington) and Safia Ahmed (Falkirk-Scotland).

Both Zarah Sultana and Tahir Ali have been awarded tickets from Labour safe seats. But Tahir faces a tough challenge from opponent Roger Godsiff, who had been a Labour member of Parliament from Birmingham since 1992 but in these elections standing as an independent after Labour refused to back him over a row on his stance on LGBT issue.

Labour Party’s candidates: Liberal Democrats have fielded some 12 candidates of Pakistani origin for the December elections. The Lib Dems never had any Member of Parliament if Pakistani origin before. The list of prospective parliamentary candidates for Lib Dems includes Hina Bokhari (Sutton & Cheam); Humaira Ali (Bermondsey & Southwark); Dr Tariq Mahmood (Ealing-Southall); Hina Malik (Feltham & Heston); Khalil Yusuf (Crawley); Ayesha Mir (Milton Keynes North); Saleyha Ahsan (Milton Keynes South); Zuffar Haq (Harborough); Waheed Rafiq (Birmingham-Hall Green); Kamran Hussain (Leeds North West); Javed Bashir (Calder Valley); and Fayzan Rehman (Stirling). Zaffar Haq, Hina Malik, and Ayesha Mir also contested in 2017 elations.

Liberal Democrat Party’s candidates: The anti-Europe Brexit Party has also fielded 5 candidates of Pakistani origin. They are Dr Tariq Mahmood (Stoke); Waqas Ali Khan (Keighley); Waj Ali (Hemsworth); Dr Ahmed Malik (Chesham & Amerham); and Danyaal Raja (Glasgow South).

Brexit Party’s candidates: Four candidates of Pakistani origin are participating in elections from Green Party’s platform. They are Shahab Adris (Leeds East); Dr Reza Hassan (Blackburn); Ty Akram (Batley & Spen); and Talia Hussain (Islington South & Finsbury).

Green Party’s candidates: Around 10 British Pakistani candidates, vying for a seat in Parliament in December elections as Independents, are from small local parties. The independent candidates are Azfar Shah Bukhari (Bradford West); Yasin Rehman (Luton North); Mohammed Ashraf (Luton South); Irum Altaf Kiyani (Altrincham & Sale West); Rizwan Ali Shah (Blackburn); Haseebur Rehman (Hackney South & Stoke Newington); and Mohammed Ali Bhatti (UKIP). Kamran Malik (East Ham) and Humera Malik (West Ham) are both from Communities Party while Hassan Zulkifl (Ealing-Southall) is from Workers Revolutionary Party. Scotland’s largest SNP has given ticket to Hamza Yousaf on a safe seat.