Leader Jeremy Corbyn Preceded by Jeff Rooker Nationality British Party Labour Party | Preceded by Fabian Hamilton Majority 14,828 (35.9%) Political party Labour | |
Born 13 July 1961 (age 55)
Azad Kashmir, Pakistan ( 1961-07-13 ) Education Birmingham City University Similar Shabana Mahmood, Steve McCabe, Keir Hardie | ||
Khalid Mahmood (born 13 July 1961) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Perry Barr since 2001.
Contents
Political career
Mahmood is a graduate of UCE Birmingham and a former engineer with a trade union background. He was a Birmingham City Councillor from 1990 to 1992. In 2001, Mahmood was selected for the Perry Barr seat by local Labour party members.
Although Mahmood held the seat for Labour in the 2001 election, his share of the vote fell by 16.5%, much of which went to the Liberal Democrat candidate Jon Hunt, who ran on an anti-sleaze ticket. Mahmood subsequently increased his share of the vote slightly at the 2005 election, though his majority fell by 805 votes. He was again elected in 2010.
He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Home Office Minister Tony McNulty from 10 November 2005 until 6 September 2006, when he resigned after signing a letter calling for Prime Minister Tony Blair to step down. Pakistani-born Mahmood stated that he was "flabbergasted and shocked" after it was discovered that Osama bin Laden was living in a city with thousands of Pakistani troops, reviving questions about alleged links between al-Qaeda and elements in Pakistan's security forces.
Mahmood opposed the decision by Birmingham College in 2013 to ban students wearing veils. "I am seriously concerned that the college has taken this approach," Mahmood told The Huffington Post. "I see no reason why young women should not be able to practice their faith and wear what is appropriate for their religion, [...] It is about freedom to protect your rights. The college should demonstrate and encourage respect of belief, colour and background. [The decision] is not an example to set to students."
In House of Commons divisions, he has voted for the introduction of national ID cards, student top-up fees, anti-terrorism laws and he voted against investigating the Iraq war. He is also on the Advisory Council (as a Labour Political Council member) of the Henry Jackson Society.
In the EU referendum, Mahmood initially supported the Labour Leave campaign but left in February when it started to attack migrants. In June, he subsequently announced his support for the Remain campaign.
UK MP expenses row
In May 2009, it was revealed, as part of a series of leaked UK MPs expense details, that Mahmood claimed for £1,350 to stay in a five-star west London hotel with his girlfriend. Mahmood also claimed more than £35,000 in expenses for food over the course of his eight years as an MP.
Awards and nominations
In January 2015, Mahmood was nominated for the Politician of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.
Personal life
In January 2014, Mahmood underwent a kidney transplant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, Birmingham, receiving an organ from an unnamed live donor. He had previously been on dialysis, following kidney failure in 2008. His twin brother died from kidney failure.