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Afzal Khan (British politician)

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Mohammed Afzal Khan, CBE (Urdu: محمد افضل خان; born 5 April 1958) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Rusholme, previously Manchester Gorton, since 2017.[2]

Afzal Khan
CBE
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament
for Manchester Rusholme
Manchester Gorton (2017–2024)
In office
8 June 2017 – present
Preceded byGerald Kaufman
Majority8,235
2023Exports
2021–2023Legal Aid
2020–2021Deputy Commons Leader
2020South Asia, Africa and Commonwealth
2017–2020Immigration
Member of the European Parliament
for North West England
In office
13 June 2014 – 8 June 2017
Succeeded byWajid Khan
Member of Manchester City Council
for Cheetham
In office
4 May 2000 – 6 May 2015
Preceded byChristopher Olaniyan
Succeeded byJulie Connolly
Personal details
Born
Mohammed Afzal Khan

(1958-04-05) 5 April 1958 (age 66)
Jhelum, West Pakistan, Pakistan
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour Co-op
SpouseShkeela Kayani[1]
Childrenone son, two daughters
EducationAbraham Moss College
Alma materManchester Polytechnic[1]
ProfessionSolicitor
Websitewww.afzalkhan.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata

He was formerly Lord Mayor of Manchester for 2005–2006, and served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North West England from 2014 to 2017.

Early life and education

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Mohammed Khan was born on 5 April 1958 in Jhelum, Pakistan, before coming to the UK aged 11. After leaving school without any qualifications, he had a number of jobs, including as a police officer for Greater Manchester Police, a labourer and bus driver.[1] He returned to education at Abraham Moss College[3] and got a degree in law from Manchester Polytechnic before qualifying as a solicitor in 1996.[1][4]

Political career

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Khan started his political career in local government before moving to the European Parliament and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom after becoming an MP in the 2017 United Kingdom general election.

Local government

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Khan was first elected a Labour councillor in 2000,[5] being re-elected in 2004, 2007 and 2011, representing Cheetham Ward. He served as Executive Member for Children's Services.[6][7]

From 2000 to 2004, Khan was a member of the Department of Trade and Industry's Ethnic Minority Business Forum,[8] advising the then Secretary of State, Patricia Hewitt.

Khan became the first Muslim Lord Mayor of Manchester, taking the position for 2005–2006.[4][9][10][11][12]

Following the 2005 London bombings, he became a member of a Home Office working group aimed at preventing extremism.[13]

In 2008, Khan was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work on race relations.

He has also served as Assistant Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain[14] and is its North West representative.[15][16]

In 2011, Khan was suggested as a candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth. In 2012, he was a potential candidate for the Bradford West by-election but lost the nomination to Imran Hussain, who was defeated by Respect Party candidate, George Galloway.

European Parliament

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Khan was selected in February 2013 on the Labour Party's list for North West England at the European Parliamentary election of 2014[17] and, on 22 May 2014, he was returned as MEP to the European Parliament to represent North West England.

In January 2016, Khan was appointed by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament as Special Representative to Muslim Communities.[18] In this function, Khan visited Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Denmark for work with local Muslim communities and invited groups of young Muslims to the Parliament.[19]

 
Khan campaigning with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as part of the cancelled Manchester Gorton by-election.

Parliamentary career

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In March 2017, Khan applied to be Labour's candidate in the 2017 Manchester Gorton by-election[20] and was officially selected on 22 March.[21] Prior to the election, he said "I condemn the statements made by Ken Livingstone and I believe there is no place for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party." He added, "I have been a lifelong campaigner against racism and anti-Semitism. In 2008, I was awarded a CBE in part for my work encouraging greater understanding between Muslims and Jews. I intend to continue this work if I am elected as MP for Manchester Gorton."[22]

The by-election was cancelled following the dissolution of Parliament for the early general election on 8 June 2017.[23] Khan was elected to Parliament as MP for Manchester Gorton with 76.3% of the vote and a majority of 31,730.[24] In July 2017, Khan was appointed Shadow Immigration Minister.[25][26]

In March 2018, Khan received a suspicious package containing an anti-Islamic letter and sticky liquid. The substance was later found to be harmless. Similar packages were received by fellow Labour MPs Mohammad Yasin, Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq.[27][28]

In July 2019, Khan apologised for having shared on Facebook two years earlier a video of American comedian Jon Stewart talking about Benjamin Netanyahu. The text under the video referred to an "Israel-British-Swiss-Rothschilds crime syndicate" and "mass murdering Rothschilds Israeli mafia criminal liars". Khan said he was "mortified", adding "I didn't read the text below, which contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy about the Rothschilds. I would never have shared it if I had seen that".[29]

At the 2019 general election, Khan was re-elected with an increased vote share of 77.6% and a decreased majority of 30,339.[30]

From August 2020 to 2022, Khan served as parliamentary chair for the Labour Muslim Network.[31]

In the September 2023 shadow cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Exports.[32] One month later Khan resigned from the frontbench to vote for a Scottish National Party (SNP) motion demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.[33]

Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Khan's constituency of Manchester Gorton was abolished, and replaced with Manchester Rusholme. At the 2024 general election, Khan was elected to Parliament as MP for Manchester Rusholme with 51.9% of the vote and a majority of 8,235.[34]

Personal life

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Khan is married to Dr. Shkeela Kayani[1] with who he has one son and two daughters.[3] One of his daughters, Maryam, served as a councillor for Longsight on Manchester City Council.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Anon (2017). "Khan, (Mohammed) Afzal". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U266569. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "Manchester Rusholme - General election results 2024". BBC News.
  3. ^ a b Anon (2005). "City picks first Asian Lord Mayor". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
  4. ^ a b "My work space". The Guardian. 27 August 2005.
  5. ^ "Local election results 2011". Manchester City Council. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  6. ^ "The Executive Members in 2019 / 2020 | The Members of the Executive | Manchester City Council". www.manchester.gov.uk.
  7. ^ "Afzal Khan meets Sheikh Sultan".
  8. ^ "The challenge for ethnic businesses". Asian Business Review.
  9. ^ "Praise for Asian mayor". South Manchester Reporter. 7 July 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  10. ^ Khan, Afzal. "Mayor of the Year". Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  11. ^ Khan, Afzal. "Former Lord Mayor Receives CBE Award".
  12. ^ Khan, Afzal. "Afzal Khan Receives 'Spirit of Britain' Award".
  13. ^ "Preventing Extremism Together" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Afzal Khan". Salaam.co.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  15. ^ "Founding signatories". Unite Against Fascism. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  16. ^ "Ajmun Ruler receives Lord Mayor Afzal Khan". 2005.
  17. ^ Williams, Jennifer (28 February 2013). "Former mayor of Manchester Afzal Khan in European election race". men.
  18. ^ "S&D appoints Special Representative for EU Muslims". 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  19. ^ "A Europe beyond politics: Rediscovering our humanity is the way forward". New Europe. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Updated: The activists aiming to be Labour's next MP in Manchester Gorton - LabourList". 15 March 2017.
  21. ^ Williams, Jennifer (23 March 2017). "North west MEP Afzal Khan selected as Labour candidate for Gorton by-election". men. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  22. ^ Williams, Jennifer (5 April 2017). "Labour by-election candidate condemns claims by Ken Livingstone that Hitler supported Zionism". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Manchester Gorton by-election cancelled because of general election". BBC News. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated & Notice of Poll". Manchester City Council. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  25. ^ "Reshuffle 2: The Maintenance of the Malcontents". New Socialist. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  26. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn appoints 20 MPs to Labour's front bench". Labour Press. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  27. ^ "Third MP gets Islamophobic letter". BBC News. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  28. ^ Elgot, Jessica (13 March 2018). "Four Muslim MPs receive suspicious packages at Westminster". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  29. ^ Box, Dan (26 July 2019). "Shadow minister's 'anti-Semitism' apology". BBC News.
  30. ^ "Blackley & Broughton Parliamentary constituency". manchester.gov.uk. Manchester City Council. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  31. ^ Afzal appointed Parliamentary Chair of Labour Muslim Network. Afzal Khan (2020-08-05). Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  32. ^ "Meet our Shadow Cabinet". The Labour Party. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Labour frontbenchers quit to back Gaza ceasefire motion". BBC News. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Manchester Rusholme results".
  35. ^ "Could it be Minister Maryam?". Manchester Evening News. 14 August 2007. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Afzal Khan (British politician).
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Manchester Gorton
2017–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Manchester Rusholme
2024–present 		Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Tom O'Callaghan
 Lord Mayor of Manchester
2005–2006 		Succeeded by
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