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Apsana Begum
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Poplar and Limehouse
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded by Jim Fitzpatrick
Majority28,904 (47.2%)
Personal details
Born (1990-05-25) 25 May 1990 (age 33)
Shadwell, London, England
Political party Labour
Other political
affiliations		 Socialist Campaign Group (2019–present)
Spouse
Ehtashamul Haque
​
​
( m. 2013; div. 2015)​
Alma mater Queen Mary University of London
SOAS University of London
ProfessionPolitician
Website Official website

Apsana Begum ( Bengali: আফসানা বেগম; born 25 May 1990) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Poplar and Limehouse since 2019.

Early life and career

Begum was born in Shadwell, Tower Hamlets to Bangladeshi Muslim parents Manir Uddin Ahmed and Syeda Nazma Begom. She has five sisters and a brother. [1] Ahmed, who died in 2012, was a Labour Party councillor representing the Shadwell ward, Tower Hamlets Community Housing Board Director (2002–2006) and 2004 Mayor of Tower Hamlets.[ citation needed]

Begum graduated with a BA in politics from Queen Mary University of London in 2011, [2] and completed a postgraduate diploma in law and community leadership at SOAS University of London in 2012. [3]

From 2011 to 2013, she worked in the role of Executive Support and Admin for Tower Hamlets Council. She was a Workforce Diversity Project Officer for Tower Hamlets Homes from 2014 to 2015, and Equality and Diversity Officer for Queen Mary University of London from 2016 to 2018. [2]

Parliamentary career

Begum was selected to contest the safe Labour seat of Poplar and Limehouse at the 2019 general election. She was endorsed by the left-wing group Momentum [4][ non-primary source needed] and nominated from an all-women shortlist. [5]

Begum was subsequently elected as MP for Poplar and Limehouse, beating the Conservative candidate Sheun Oke by 28,904 votes. [6] This was more than her predecessor Jim Fitzpatrick's 27,712 vote majority [7] at the 2017 general election, and represented an increased majority for Labour on a slightly reduced vote share.

Begum is a member of the left-wing Socialist Campaign Group of MPs. [8] She is the UK's first MP to wear a hijab. [9] [10]

On being elected, Begum asserted to the Eastern Eye that she has had to endure a series of racist, Islamophobic and misogynistic attacks and set out what she saw as the many barriers facing BAME women in public life. [11] During an interview with Dazed, she said "It has been quite horrendous...and it's been quite personalised in terms of attacks. Before being elected, you see other MPs go through that but you don't necessarily appreciate the impact it can have on someone as an individual." [12]

In response to allegations that the ex-Mayor Lutfur Rahman was behind her political career, Begum told Eastlondonlines "It is grossly insulting, as well as being rooted in racism and misogyny, to assume that I have no agency of my own and that I must be a 'proxy' or 'stooge' for a man I have not spoken to for six years." [13] Begum delivered her maiden speech in Parliament during a debate about International Women's Day, paying tribute to what she described as the "rich history of women's struggles for social justice" in East London. [14]

In 2022, she accused the Labour Party of targeting her for deselection because she was a "socialist, Muslim, working-class woman". [15]

Sharing of social media post which was criticised as antisemitic

In 2019, the British press reported that Begum had shared a social media post in 2017 that referred to Saudi Arabia's "Zionist masters". [16] [17] In response, Apsana Begum unshared the post and said

“I didn’t make those comments and I shared the article because I was concerned with the treatment of pilgrims who were being harassed in the Mecca Grand Mosque. The original poster used words that were inappropriate, and I wouldn’t use them myself. I’m committed to fighting antisemitism both inside the Labour Party and in wider society.” [18]

COVID-19 and black, Asian and minority ethnic people

On 9 April 2020, in an article published by Left Foot Forward, Begum raised concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income families and black, Asian and minority ethnic people. She said that the communities were at a greater risk due to the higher proportion of members who worked in the health sector. [19] On 12 May, Begum raised the issue again in Parliament, highlighting new data released by Tower Hamlets Council. [20]

Islamophobia

Begum commented in November 2020 that the Labour Party "has been in denial" about the problem of Islamophobia. She told ITV News: "It's quite regular to be asked questions and to constantly be asked to reaffirm my commitment towards British society as if in some way my identity and politics are not compatible." [21] The same month, Begum tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament [22] highlighting a surge in racist attacks and Islamophobia in Britain and abroad, [23] and wrote about her experiences "as someone who has first-hand experience of the rise in Islamophobia over the past decades" saying that "I know that every single day people of Muslim backgrounds like me face discrimination and prejudice." [24]

Julian Assange

Begum has opposed extradition of Julian Assange [25] and sponsored a related motion in parliament. [26][ better source needed]

Ukraine and Palestine

On 24 February 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Begum was one of 11 Labour MPs threatened with loss of the party whip for signing a statement by the Stop the War Coalition which questioned the legitimacy of NATO and accused NATO of "eastward expansion". All 11 then removed their signatures. [27]

On 7 October 2023, Begum posed with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign at their stand at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Because the PSC had planned to protest outside the Israeli embassy following the start of the 2023 Gaza-Israel conflict the previous day, Begum attracted criticism from the media and faced calls for suspension from the party whip. The PSC later removed the photo from its Twitter account. [28] [29] [30]

Personal life

After graduating in 2011, Begum moved back to her parents' house, and then started a relationship with Ehtashamul Haque, then a member of Tower Hamlets Council. [31] [32] [33] After her father died in 2012, her family learnt of the relationship and as Haque was twice divorced and older than her, disapproved of it. [34] Begum and Haque married in May 2013, with none of the family attending, and her possessions were left in bin liners outside the family's house. She moved into her husband's residence, but has alleged that he was abusive towards her, and then cheated on her, leading her to end the marriage in October 2015. [35] [36] She reconciled with her family, and slept on a sofa in their living room. [34]

In January 2020, Begum wrote in a tweet that she had suffered from domestic abuse. [37] She went on to become chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse. [38]

Council housing fraud allegations

After selection as Labour's candidate for Poplar and Limehouse, Begum was investigated over whether she wrongly secured a social housing flat. [39]

When she returned from university to her family home in 2011, she had shared a bedroom with her sister and aunt, while her parents and brother used the two other bedrooms. So she applied for social housing from Tower Hamlets Council, stating the house had only three bedrooms. That classed it as overcrowded, giving her some priority in the queue. When she moved in with her husband in 2013, Begum notified the council. [40] In addition, she notified the authority's council tax department about the move, which, she has claimed, she assumed would be passed to the housing department, a different department of the council, without responsibility for council tax. [34]

When, in 2016, Begum left her husband after the breakdown of her marriage, [41] she once again contacted the council by phone and was sent a form to complete. [34] Shortly afterwards she secured a rented one-bed flat. [35]

In October 2019, a senior executive at Tower Hamlets Council received a complaint concerning Begum's housing allocation [35] from her ex-husband's brother-in law. [42] She was interviewed in January 2020, when it was alleged she had lied about not having her own bedroom. She was also accused of failing to notify the Council when she moved to her husband's home in 2013. [34] She denied wrongdoing. [43]

In 2020, Begum was charged with three counts of fraud dating between 18 January 2013 and 31 March 2016, relating to the charge that she dishonestly failed to disclose information. [44] She stated that she was going to "vigorously contest" the charges. [45]

At the trial, evidence was presented that she had been applying for council properties during her marriage to Haque, which she said he did without her knowledge. [46] Begum's defence barrister presented the court with evidence about the pattern of the bidding which she argued suggested two different people were bidding. [47] Begum argued that she was a victim of domestic abuse, coercive control and financial abuse [34] and, on 30 July 2021, was found not guilty on all charges. [48]

References

  1. ^ "#ELLGE19 Election Preview: Poplar and Limehouse – 'I'm voting Labour – never Tory in Tower Hamlets'". Eastlondonlines. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Begum, Apsana, (born 25 May 1990), MP (Lab) Poplar and Limehouse, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi: 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293982. ISBN  978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Begum, Apsana, (born 25 May 1990), MP (Lab) Poplar and Limehouse, since 2019." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 1 Dec. 2020
  4. ^ Tower Hamlets Momentum [@THMomentum] (17 September 2019). "Based on her campaigning work, and commitment to a genuinely socialist government, Tower Hamlets Momentum strongly supports Apsana Begum as the candidate for the Poplar & Limehouse constituency. #Apsana4PL https://t.co/K1f0yHIBdh" ( Tweet). Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Brooke, Mike (28 October 2019). "Police called in amid chaos as Labour selects Lutfur Rahman's election candidate for Poplar & Limehouse". East London Advertiser. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Poplar & Limehouse parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Poplar and Limehouse – 2017 Election Results – General Elections Online". electionresults.parliament.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. ^ Obese-Jecty, Ben (2 August 2022). "Starmer's position is becoming untenable". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  9. ^ "The UK has elected its first hijab-wearing Member of Parliament, Apsana Begum – TMV". 1 December 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  10. ^ The Data Journalism Team (1 December 2019). "Election 2019: Six charts on Britain's most diverse Parliament". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. ^ Codling, Lauren (2 January 2020). "Electing more BAME politicians will help in fighting race bias, say MPs". EasternEye. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  12. ^ "'We have big voices': young female politicians on fighting sexist bullying". Dazed. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  13. ^ "#ELLGE19: Labour candidate brands Tory attacks 'racist and sexist'". Eastlondonlines. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  14. ^ Long, Matilda (5 March 2020). "Labour MP becomes the first hijab-wearing woman to make a speech in the House of Commons". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  15. ^ Elgot, Jessica (29 September 2022). "Labour MP Apsana Begum alleges 'harassment' from party". Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Antisemitism and Labour: everything you need to know". The Guardian. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Controversial candidates". The Times. ISSN  0140-0460. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  18. ^ "New London Labour official shared "Zionist masters" post". The Red Roar. 3 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Apsana Begum: The virus does discriminate". Left Foot Forward. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  20. ^ Boyle, Cash (12 May 2020). "Leading Tower Hamlets figures react to findings which lay bare the impact of coronavirus on BAME community". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Over one in three Muslims report seeing Islamophobia in Labour Party". The Independent. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  22. ^ "Global Islamophobia - Early Day Motions - UK Parliament". edm.parliament.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  23. ^ "Labour's Apsana Begum warns Westminster's policies are contributing to rise in Islamophobia". Morning Star. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  24. ^ "It's Time to Turn Back the Rising Tide of Islamophobia". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  25. ^ Begum, Apsana [@ApsanaBegumMP] (4 January 2021). "Julian Assange is an international award-winning journalist. He exposed US war crimes in Iraq & Afghanistan, yet he is the one in maximum security prison. Today we find out if extradition attempts are successful. For press freedom & our civil liberties, he should be released" ( Tweet). Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Scripps, Thomas (18 July 2020). "UK MPs submit early day motion on Assange". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  27. ^ Wearmouth, Rachel (24 February 2022). "11 Labour MPs threatened with suspension for signing Stop The War letter attacking NATO". Mirror. Retrieved 24 February 2022. The party's chief whip Sir Alan Campbell contacted the 11 MPs warning them they faced losing the party whip if they do not back down. ... It is understood all 11 later asked for their signatures to be removed as a result.
  28. ^ "Labour calls for police to investigate UK Hamas supporters – as own MP poses with Palestinian activists". The Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  29. ^ Martin, Daniel; Penna, Dominic (8 October 2023). "Keir Starmer refuses to suspend Labour MP who backed Palestine campaign group". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 October 2023.(subscription required)
  30. ^ Martin, Daniel (9 October 2023). "You must believe Hamas are terrorists to be in Labour, says Rachel Reeves". The Telegraph. ISSN  0307-1235. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  31. ^ Golds, Peter (1 November 2019). "Peter Golds: Once again, Tower Hamlets is in the news for chaos and corruption". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  32. ^ Stevenson, Nicholas (2 August 2021). "Apsana Begum trial: Another revolting attack by Labour's right wing". Socialist Appeal (UK, 1992). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  33. ^ "Tower Hamlets Council - Councillor Details - Councillor Ehtasham Haque". Tower Hamlets Council. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e f Kale, Sirin (23 August 2021). "'It felt like political persecution'". The Guardian.
  35. ^ a b c "Questions raised over Labour candidate's £330K council flat". Eastern Eye. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  36. ^ Brooke, Mike (5 December 2019). "'I needed housing' Labour's Apsana Begum tells Poplar & Limehouse election hustings after 'queue jump' claim". East London Advertiser. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  37. ^ Begum, Apsana [@ApsanaBegumMP] (22 January 2020). "Domestic abuse, violence & harassment are serious crimes. Please don't suffer and delay reporting if you witness or experience it. I was silent & I have suffered. There are many agencies that can support you such as @womensaid Don't suffer in silence" ( Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups. Domestic Violence and Abuse (Report). United Kingdom. Parliament. House of Commons. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  39. ^ Kirk, Tristan (8 December 2020). "MP denies cheating taxpayers out of £63k with council home". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Justice for Apsana Begum". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  41. ^ Burford, Rachael (29 October 2020). "Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum charged with housing fraud". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  42. ^ Kirk, Tristan (30 July 2021). "Labour MP Apsana Begum found not guilty of housing fraud". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  43. ^ Kirk, Tristan (29 October 2020). "Labour MP vows to 'vigorously contest' housing fraud charges". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  44. ^ Kirk, Tristan (29 October 2020). "Labour MP Apsana Begum vows to 'vigorously' fight housing fraud charges after £300k council flat claim". Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Labour MP Apsana Begum charged with housing fraud". The Guardian. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  46. ^ "Apsana Begum: Labour MP cleared of fraudulent housing claims". BBC News. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  47. ^ Berry, Franki (22 July 2021). "Apsana Begum's ex-husband may be behind housing bids, trial hears". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Labour MP Apsana Begum weeps in dock after being cleared of fraud charges". The Independent. 30 July 2021.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Poplar and Limehouse
2019–present 		Incumbent
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