A record number of British Pakistani are in the race for the upcoming election of the UK’s 650 parliamentary seats to be held on December 12. The UK’s two main parties, ruling conservative and opposition labour have nominated an equal number of 17 candidates of Pakistani origin for the most decisive elections which will shape the country’s future relations with the European Union (EU).
The labour’s candidates include the incumbent 9 Members of Parliament (MP) who have been reselected as well as 8 new candidates from across the UK has been picked to take on the ruling conservative party sitting MP’s. Khalid Mahmood MP from Perry Barr area of Birmingham is the most senior Pakistani origin MP, who has been elected 5 times since 2001 and hoping to make it the parliament for 6 time as his constituency has been a safe labour seat. However, some sources said Mahmood faces a group of Pakistanis within his party who are against him.
Labour has nominated Faiza Shaheen of Pakistani origin to unseat ex- Chairman of conservative party and a staunch supporter of Brexit Iain Duncan Smith from his Chingford and Woodford seat in London. Young Faiza is receiving a lot of support from the local population, the majority voters in the area voted to remain in the UK during the 2016 EU referendum and subsequently Smith majority in 2017 election was slashed to around 2000. All eyes are on this important constituency and political observer are predicting that this around the Labour Faiza can topple senior tory leader in one of the closest election fights.
The sitting Chancellor of Exchequer Sajid Javid is defending his Bromsgrove constituency where in 2017 his wining majority was around 17000. Similarly, Tory MP Rehman Chishti, the son of a Pakistani imam who was born in Muzzaffarad AJK is also defending his Gillingham seat, however both Sajid and Chishti’s constituencies are conservative party safe seats and they are expected to be re-elected.
Conservatives have selected a young British born Pakistani Saqib Bhatti for their safe seat of Meridian near Birmingham. 34 -year-old Bhatti having the distinction of becoming the youngest and first Muslim president in the 205 history of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce (GBCC). Meridian has a long history of electing tory candidates since 1979 and according to election predications Bhatti would have a smooth sailing. Similarly, conservative party has also selected father and son of Pakistani origin for two different constituencies in the north of England. Amjad Bashir, former EU member of Parliament was nominated for the Leeds North East while his son Tayub Amjad is the party candidate for Stalybridge and Hyde in Manchester. However, Amjad has been suspend by the party last week over allegations that he made antisemitic comments in 2014.
Unlike the labour, conservative party has nominated majority of its candidate of Pakistani origin in the labour majority areas with the aims to win over the ethnic minorities’ votes. Liberal democratic and Scottish National Party have also selected a large number of Pakistani candidates for the 12 December general election.
