LONDON: Around a dozen British-Pakistani and Kashmiri-origin parliamentarians are standing in winnable seats for the July, 4th 2024 UK elections in a highly charged election campaign, dominated by the issues of economy, immigration, rising inflation crimes and Israel’s war on Gaza.

Most of the potential British-Pakistani candidates are standing in areas of Birmingham and West Midlands (five seats), Greater Manchester (two seats), Bradford (two seats), Bedford and Dewsbury (one seat each), London and Southeast (one seat each) and Scotland (two seats).

In an interesting first-time development, the challenge to the Labour ticket-holding candidates comes not from the main parties such as Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green or the newly reformatted Reform party or the Workers Party of Great Britain headed by George Galloway but by an array of independents of Pakistani and Kashmiri-origin who are campaigning on the issue of Gaza.

Almost all the “independents” in these areas campaigned mostly over the issue of Israel’s war on Palestine since October 7th last year.

In former safe Labour strongholds with voters of Muslim and Pakistani origin in significant numbers, there is a huge anger against the Labour Party and its support for Israel and the independents are trying to exploit that anger — mainly through the use of social media sites such as TikTok, WhatsApp and Instagram. A lot of fake news, disinformation and toxicity is at play in these elections.

Below is a list of the high-profile Pakistani and Kashmiri-origin candidates – who are either on safe seats, highly likely to win or running as the main candidates from the major parties.

Birmingham — Ladywood

Shabana Mahmood (Labour) is a high-profile British-Pakistani politician. The Oxford graduate was first elected on the Labour ticket in 2010 and has been winning ever since.

She is considered amongst the close circle of Labour leader Keir Starmer. She won the last election with a majority of 28,000 votes — 80% of the total votes cast.

She was Labour’s national campaign coordinator till a few months. She also was part of Starmer’s core team that prepared Labour’s manifesto.

Her opponents this time are Shazna Muzammil (Conservative), Akhmed Yakoob (Independent), Zoe Challenor (Green Party), Lee Dargue (Liberal Democrats) and Irene Henery (Reform UK).

Birmingham — Perry Barr

Khalid Mahmood (Labour) is the senior most British Pakistani parliamentarian, having been elected first in 2001 almost 24 years ago from this area.

His opponents are Sabah Hamed (Liberal Democrats), Garry Hickton (Conservative), Andy Chaffer (Communist Party of Britain), Kefentse Dennis (Green Party), Akshay Khuttan (Reform UK) and Shangara Singh (Socialist Labour Party).

The strongest challenge to Khalid Mahmood is from Ayoub Khan (independent) who has been a local councillor for several years and resigned from Liberal Democrats a few months ago.

Birmingham — Hall Green & Moseley

Tahir Ali (Labour) was first elected in 2019 with a whopping majority of more than 28,000 votes.

But this time he faces challenges from opponents Barrister Mohammad Hafeez (independent), Shakeel Afsar (independent), Zain Ahmed (Green Party), Henry Morris (Conservative Party), Izzy Knowles (Liberal Democrats), and Raja Babar Saleem (independent).

Both Mohammad Hafeez and Shakeel Afsar are set to split the independent vote and both are vying for the same constituency vote. 

Afsar has a previous record of campaigning on a few local issues. 

Hafeez is a high-profile criminal law barrister who has also worked as a prosecutor for the UK’s Crime Prosecution Service (CPS).

Interestingly he was in the Labour party till recently with his entire family and Labour leader and the PM hopeful Sir Keir Starmer was also at the CPS till a few years ago.

Hafeez quit the Labour party in solidarity with the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who has endorsed Hafeez in strong words.

Bradford West

Naz Shah (Labour) is running from this seat for re-election on a Labour ticket.

One of the highest profile Muslim and Pakistani origin parliamentarians since her election first in 2015 after beating George Galloway, Naz Shah is facing challenge from Imad Ahmed (Liberal Democrat), Nigel Moxon (Conservative), Khalid Mahmood (Green Party), Jamie Hinton-Wardle (Reform UK), Umar Ghafoor (independent), Akeel Hussain (independent) and Muhammed Ali Islam (independent).

The 21-year-old Ali Islam was elected councillor a few weeks ago in a local revolt against Labour and he received over 4000 votes.

His campaign is focused on Gaza and he has a lot of support in several areas of the constituency.

Bradford East

Imran Hussain (Labour) has Jacob Anstey (Reform UK), Aubrey Holt (Conservative)
Robert O’Carroll (Liberal Democrat), Richard Riley (Social Democratic Party), Lara Barras (The Yorkshire Party) and Celia Hickson (Green Party) standing against him.

However, Mohammed Rahman (independent), Amer Rehman (independent)
and Talat Sajawal (independent) are likely to pick up lots of votes.

Hussain was first elected in 2015. He’s running again for the same seat.

Bolton South and Walkden

Yasmin Qureshi (Labour) was first elected in 2010.

Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell (Independent), Mohammed Afzal (Conservative), Gemma-Jane Bowker (Liberal Democrat), Jack Khan (Workers Party), Philip Kochitty (Green Party) and Julie Pattison (Reform UK) are her main opponents.

She had last won on a majority of over 7000 votes.

Coventry South

Activist and campaigner Zarah Sultana of Labour was first elected in 2019 with a slim margin of 401 votes.

She is running again on the Labour ticket.

Her main opponents are Chris Baddon (Reform UK), Mattie Heaven (Conservative), Alastair Mellon (Social Democratic Party), Joshua Morland (independent), Niko Omilana (independent), Anne Patterson (Green), Stephen Richmond (Liberal Democrat) and Mohammed Syed (Workers Party of Britain).

Gillingham and Rainham

Rehman Chishti (Conservative) is currently the senior most Muslim parliamentarian of the Tory party who was first elected in 2010.

Chishti, whose family hails from Muzaffarabad, AJK, is son of an Imam and also a former adviser of Benazir Bhutto has been winning ever since.

This time around, he has Naushabah Khan (Labour), Stuart Bourne (Liberal Democrat), Kate Belmonte (Green Party), Roger Peacock (Christian Peoples Alliance), Rizvi Rawoof (Reform UK) Peter Wheeler (Social Democratic Party), and Peter Cook (independent) running against him.

London — Tooting

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour) is half-Pakistani and half-Polish.

She was first elected in 2016 in a by-election when Sadiq Khan became London Mayor and resigned from his seat.

Her opponents are Ethan Brooks (Conservative), Judith Trounson (Liberal Democrat), Tarik Hussain (Workers Party of Britain), Jas Alduk (Rejoin EU), Nick Humberstone (Green),
Andrew Price (Reform UK) and Davinder Jamus (independent).

Manchester — Rusholme

Afzal Khan (Labour) was first elected in 2017 in a by-election from Manchester Gorton. In the last general elections in 2019 Khan won with a majority of more than 30,000 votes.

The former councillor, European Parliament member and Lord Mayor is running to become the MP again from newly formed Manchester Rusholme.

His opponents are Alexandra Marsanu (Conservative), Thirza Asanga-Rae (Green Party), Mohhamed Bilal (Workers Party of Britain), Peter Clifford (Communist League), Joel McGuigan (Reform UK) and Faraz Bhatti (independent).

Meriden and Solihull East

Saqib Bhatti (Conservative) was first elected in 2019 from the safe Tory seat on a lead of 23000 votes.

He’s facing contest from Sarah Alan (Labour) Malcolm Sedgley (Reform UK), Shesh Sheshabhatter (Greens) and Virk (Liberal Democrat).

Sussex Weald

Nusrat Ghani (Conservative) was first elected in 2015 from the safe Tory seat. She has served in various cabinet positions in the last three Tory governments.

In 2018 she became the first ever female Muslim minister to speak from the House of Commons dispatch box.

This time she is facing Dipesh Patel (Labour), Danielle Newson (Liberal Democrat), Stephen Gander (Social Democratic Party), Austin Henderson (Green Party), Dominie Stemp (Heritage Party), Chris Magness (UKIP), David Morgan (Reform UK) and Shaun Bowler (independent) are running against her in July 20204 election.

Bedford

Mohammad Yasin (Labour) was first elected in 2017 from this seat. Though he won from the same seat again in 2019 but with the thinnest of just 146 votes.

While seeking re-election this time, he faces competition from Prince Sadiq Chaudhury (Workers Party), Pinder Chauhan (Conservative), Ben Foley (Green), Tarek Javed (independent), Matt Lansley (Reform), and Henry Vann (Liberal Democrat).

Dewsbury and Batley

Labour’s candidate for Dewsbury and Batley is Heather Iqbal. Her father is Pakistani and mother is English.

She is contesting the general elections for the first time and is considered another strong ally of Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer.

Her opponents are Iqbal Hussain (independent), John Edward Rossington (Liberal Democrats), Lalit Raghunath (Conservative).

Airdrie and Shotts — Scotland

Scotland has 57 seats in the British parliament. Scottish Pakistani Anum Qaisar has been given a ticket by the Scottish National Party (SNP) again.

Qaisar was first elected in a by-election around three years ago.

Her opponents in this election are Alexandra Herdman (Conservative), Kenneth Stevenson (Labour), Lewis Younie (Liberal Democrat), Josh Robertson (Alba), David Hall (Reform UK) and John Leckie (British Unionist Party).

Glasgow South West — Scotland

Dr Zubir Ahmed is standing for Labour in Glasgow South West — a seat where the party came within 60 votes of winning in 2017.

Labour requires a 6.43% to win in the constituency, one of the 126 the party needs to secure a majority in the House of Commons.

The 42-year-old is a dad of two, and a transplant and vascular specialist in Glasgow. His main opponents are Green party’s John Hamelink, Liberal Democrat’s Paul McGarry, Reform UK’s, Morag McRae, Alba’s Tony Osy, Conservative’s Mamun Rashid and Scottish National Party’s Chris Stephens.

Wellingborough and Rushden

Benyamin Naeem Habib — known as Ben Habib — is among the most high-profile candidates of right-wing Reform UK and is contesting in the elections from Wellingborough and Rushden.

The 59-year-old businessman Ben Habib was born in Karachi to a Pakistani father and English mother.

Currently, Ben Habib is also the Deputy Leader of the Reform UK.

Previously a Tory donor, multi-millionaire Ben supported Brexit and is now considered a staunch ally of Nigel Farage. Ben previously won the European Parliament election in 2019 from London on the Brexit Party’s ticket.

London — Holborn and St Pancras

The potential future prime minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer is facing main opposition from British-Pakistani lawyer Mehreen Malik on the Conservative ticket.

Others in the race are Andrew Feinstein (independent), Wais Islam (independent), Senthil Kumar (independent), John Poynton (UKIP), David Roberts (Reform UK), Tom Scripps (Socialist Equality), Bobby Smith (independent) and David Stansell (Green).

Chingford and Woodford Green

Pakistani origin Faiza Shaheen is set for another fight with former leader of Conservative Party Sir Ian Duncan Smith in Chingford & Woodford Green.

In the 2019 elections, she lost to Ian Duncan Smith by only 1,262 votes after securing 22,219 votes in the Labour party’s ticket.

The London School of Economics (LSE) academic announced that she was standing as an independent candidate a week after Labour’s NEC refused to endorse her as party’s candidate for liking a tweet on Israel by a leading US broadcaster.

Labour’s Shama Tatler, Liberal Democrat’s Josh Hadley, Chris Brody of Green, and Paul Luggeri of Reform UK are also contesting from this constituency.

Britain’s total population is around 65 million according to the census in 2021. The eligible voters are around 50 million.

The total number of Muslims in Britain today is around four million, including Muslims from all over the world, with Pakistanis and Kashmiris making the largest group at over 1.5 million, followed by Bangladeshi and Indian Muslims.

Also, more than 100,000 people of Pakistani origin are living in Scotland.

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Header image: (Left to right) Khalid Mahmood (Labour Party), Shabana Mahmood (Labour Party), Rehman Chishti (Conservative Party) and Zarah Sultana (Labour Party). — UK Parliament