Iqbal Hussain Mohamed is a British independent politician, engineer, and IT consultant who has served as the Member of Parliament for Dewsbury and Batley since 2024.[1] Mohamed defeated Heather Iqbal of the Labour Party whilst campaigning on a pro-Palestine platform.[2][3] He became the first independent MP to be elected to a seat in Yorkshire since 1907.[4]
Iqbal Mohamed | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Dewsbury and Batley | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 6,934 (18.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Iqbal Hussain Mohamed Dewsbury, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Durham University |
| Website | imohamed4mp |
Early life and career
editMohamed was born in Dewsbury into an Indian Muslim family from Bharauch, Gujurat, where he attended Westborough High School and Huddersfield New College. Huddersfield before attending Durham University where he studied applied physics and electronics.[5][6][7]
Before his election as an MP, he worked in manufacturing and electrical engineering and later as a consultant in business and technology management.[5]
Member of Parliament
editMohamed was elected as an independent candidate in a shock victory, defeating his Labour Party rival by a margin of 6,934 votes. He was the first independent MP to be elected to a constituency in Yorkshire since the 1907 Colne Valley by-election.[4] He was one of five independent candidates elected across England in the 2024 general election, a result which is suggested to be a result of anger at Labour's stance on the Israel-Hamas War.[8]
Mohamed's campaign focused on calling for a ceasefire and two-state solution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as tackling the UK cost of living crisis.[5]
References
edit- ^ Siddique, Haroon (7 July 2024). "Who are the pro-Gaza independents who unseated Labour MPs?". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Dewsbury and Batley - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Imran, Yousra Samir (1 July 2024). "Is Labour trying to split the Muslim vote in Dewsbury and Batley?". Hyphen. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ a b Jones, Steve (5 July 2024). "Dewsbury voters welcome historic independent MP". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Who am I?". Iqbal Mohamed. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Iqbal Mohamed". LinkedIn. Iqbal Mohamed. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Gujarat-origin Iqbal Mohamed wins UK's Yorkshire seat". english.gujaratsamachar.com. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Pro-Gaza candidates dent Labour's UK election victory". Reuters. Retrieved 6 July 2024.