Afzal Khan (British politician)
| Afzal Khan CBE MEP | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the European Parliament for North West England | |
|
Assumed office 13 June 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 April 1958 Jhelum, Pakistan |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
 UKLabour Party (Co-op)  EUProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Islam |
| Website |
afzalkhan |
Mohammed Afzal Khan, CBE MEP (Urdu: محمد افضل خان; born 5 April 1958, in Jhelum, Pakistan), is a Labour Party politician who serves as a Member of the European Parliament.
Early life
Khan was born in Pakistan and came to the UK aged 11. After leaving school without qualifications, he had a number of jobs – including as a Greater Manchester Police Constable – before returning to education and qualifying as a solicitor:[1] he is now a partner in the solicitors firm of Mellor & Jackson, Oldham.[2]
Political career
Khan was first elected a Councillor in 2000[3] being re-elected in 2004, 2007 and 2011, representing Cheetham Ward and also served as Executive Member for Children's Services.[4][5] Khan was the youngest, first British Pakistani and Muslim, Lord Mayor of Manchester for 2005-2006.[1][6][7][8][9] He has also served as Assistant Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain [10] and is currently its North West representative.[11][12]
From 2000 to 2004 Khan was a member of the Department of Trade and Industry's Ethnic Minority Business Forum,[13] advising the then Secretary of State, Patricia Hewitt. Following the 2005 London bombings he was a member of a Home Office working group aimed at preventing extremism.[14] Khan was appointed CBE for his race relations work and in 2011 was suggested as a candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth. In 2012, he stood as the Labour candidate at the Bradford West by-election losing out to Imran Hussain, Deputy Leader of Bradford Council and a barrister (who was beaten at the election by George Galloway).
Afzal Khan was selected in February 2013 on the Labour Party's list for North West England at the European Parliamentary election of 2014[15] 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.[16] In this function, Khan will visit Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Denmark for work with local Muslim communities but he will also be inviting groups of young Muslims to the Parliament. [17]
Personal life
Khan is married with a son and two daughters, one of whom, Maryam Khan,[18][19] was also a Councillor on Manchester City Council, for Longsight.[20]
See also
References
- 1 2 "My work space". The Guardian. 2005-08-27.
- ↑ "Mellor & Jackson - Oldham Solicitors". Mellor & Jackson.
- ↑ "Local election results 2011". Manchester City Council.
- ↑ "Members of the Executive".
- ↑ "Afzal Khan meets Sheikh Sultan".
- ↑ "Praise for Asian mayor". South Manchester Reporter. 2005-07-07. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ Khan, Afzal. "Mayor of the Year".
- ↑ Khan, Afzal. "Former Lord Mayor Receives CBE Award".
- ↑ Khan, Afzal. "Afzal Khan Receives "Spirit of Britain" Award".
- ↑ "Afzal Khan". Salaam.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ "Founding signatories". Unite Against Fascism. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ "Ajmun Ruler receives Lord Mayor Afzal Khan". 2005.
- ↑ "The challenge for ethnic businesses". Asian Business Review.
- ↑ "Preventing Extremism Together" (PDF).
- ↑ "Former mayor of Manchester Afzal Khan in European election race".
- ↑ "S&D appoints Special Representative for EU Muslims". 26 January 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ "A Europe beyond politics: Rediscovering our humanity is the way forward". New Europe. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ↑ www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
- ↑ www.labourlist.org
- ↑ Could it be Minister Maryam?