Iqbal Mohamed

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Iqbal Mohamed

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}

| image = Iqbal Mohamed MP.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| parliament = United Kingdom

| office = Member of Parliament
for Dewsbury and Batley

| termstart = 4 July 2024

| termend =

| predecessor = Constituency established

| successor =

| majority = 6,934 (18.2%)

| party = Independent (part of the Independent Alliance)

| birth_name = Iqbal Hussain Mohamed

| birth_place = Dewsbury, England

| alma_mater = Durham University

| website = {{URL|imohamed4mp.co.uk}}

}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/07/who-are-the-pro-gaza-independents-who-unseated-labour-mps|title=Who are the pro-Gaza independents who unseated Labour MPs?|website=The Guardian|date=7 July 2024|access-date=9 July 2024|first=Haroon|last=Siddique}} Mohamed defeated Heather Iqbal of the Labour Party whilst campaigning on a pro-Palestine platform.{{cite news |title=Dewsbury and Batley - General election results 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001196 |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=BBC News }}{{cite web |last=Imran |first=Yousra Samir |date=1 July 2024 |title=Is Labour trying to split the Muslim vote in Dewsbury and Batley? |url=https://hyphenonline.com/2024/07/01/is-labour-trying-to-split-the-muslim-vote-in-dewsbury-and-batley-iqbal-mohamed-heather-iqbal-ammar-anwar-uk-election/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Hyphen }} He became the first independent MP to be elected to a seat in Yorkshire since 1907.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Steve |title=Dewsbury voters welcome historic independent MP |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c03l1817z3po |work=BBC News|access-date=6 July 2024|date=5 July 2024}}

Early life and career

Mohamed was born in Dewsbury into an Indian Muslim family from Bharauch, Gujurat, where he attended Westborough High School and Huddersfield New College before attending Durham University where he studied applied physics and electronics.{{cite web |title=Who am I? |url=https://www.imohamed4mp.co.uk/about-me/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706131408/https://www.imohamed4mp.co.uk/about-me/ |archive-date=6 July 2024 |access-date=6 July 2024 |publisher=Iqbal Mohamed}}{{cite web |date=7 July 2024 |title=Gujarat-origin Iqbal Mohamed wins UK’s Yorkshire seat |url=https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/nri-news/gujarat-origin-iqbal-mohamed-wins-uk-yorkshire-seat |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=english.gujaratsamachar.com}}

Before his election as an MP, he worked in manufacturing and electrical engineering and later as a consultant in business and technology management.

Member of Parliament

Mohamed 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. He was one of five independent candidates elected across England in the 2024 general election, a result which is suggested to be in part a result of anger at Labour's stance on the Israel-Hamas War.{{cite web |last1=|title=Pro-Gaza candidates dent Labour's UK election victory |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pro-gaza-candidates-dent-labours-uk-election-victory-2024-07-05/ |publisher=Reuters |access-date=6 July 2024}}

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.

Mohamed sponsored the Independent—Green "Amendment B" to abolish the two child benefit cap, and voted in support of the Scottish National Party's "Amendment D" to abolish the cap.{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Daniel |date=2024-07-18 |title=King’s Speech: Government to face four amendments on two-child benefit cap |url=https://labourlist.org/2024/07/kings-speech-2024-benefit-cap-amendments/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=LabourList |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=staff |first=Politics co uk |date=2024-07-23 |title=How every MP voted on the two-child benefit cap amendment |url=https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2024/07/23/kings-speech-how-every-mp-voted-on-the-snps-two-child-benefit-cap-amendment/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Politics.co.uk |language=en-US}} Both amendments were voted down by the Labour Party. Shortly after the vote Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, and Ayoub Khan produced a joint letter decrying the two major parties and stating the need for a caring alternative.{{Cite web |last=Gye |first=Hugo |last2=Vaughan |first2=Richard |date=24 July 2024 |title=Corbyn trying to form rebel alliance to fight Starmer after Labour benefits revolt |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/corbyn-form-rebel-alliance-fight-starmer-labour-benefits-revolt-3188307 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824122040/inews.co.uk/news/politics/corbyn-form-rebel-alliance-fight-starmer-labour-benefits-revolt-3188307 |archive-date=24 August 2024 |access-date=3 September 2024 |website=inews}} Adam and Corbyn had been in discussions with Khan, Hussain, and Mohamed regarding how to impact policy, with Adam stating that the five were "looking at options that would give us more access to the levers of power".{{Cite web |date=2024-08-09 |title=Jeremy Corbyn in talks to form new group with independent MPs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd73x77r22do |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} On 2 September 2024, Mohamed was a founding member of the Independent Alliance parliamentary group.{{Cite news |last=Elgot |first=Jessica |date=2024-09-02 |title=Jeremy Corbyn to form alliance with four independent pro-Gaza MPs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/02/jeremy-corbyn-alliance-independent-pro-gaza-mps |access-date=2024-09-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Iqbal Mohamed voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, instead arguing to increase funding to and quality of palliative care.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-28 |title=Dewsbury and Batley MP Iqbal Mohamed will vote against assisted dying bill |url=https://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/health/dewsbury-and-batley-mp-iqbal-mohamed-will-vote-against-assisted-dying-bill-4888243 |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Dewsbury Reporter |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Voce |first=Antonio |last2=Clarke |first2=Seán |date=2024-11-29 |title=How did your MP vote on assisted dying? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2024/nov/29/how-did-your-mp-vote-on-assisted-dying |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

In December 2024, Conservative MP Richard Holden submitted a ten-minute rule bill to ban marriages between first cousins.{{Cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Richard |date=2024-12-09 |title=Parliament to be warned of risks of marrying your own cousin |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/marry-cousin-law-rules-illegal-b2661131.html |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=The Independent |language=en}} Iqbal Mohamed agreed that there were health risks associated with first-cousin marriages but argued against the bill, stating that a ban would be ineffective and the issues would be best addressed through education programmes to raise awareness of the risks. Mohamed also argued for more education about the risks of first-cousin marriage, and for test screening for children of prospective couples.{{cite web |title=Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-12-10/debates/6A325A71-434B-42FF-AC9F-FF8C6FD85B00/Marriage(ProhibitedDegreesOfRelationship)Bill?highlight=richard%20holden%20cousin# |website=hansard.parliament.uk |access-date=16 December 2024 |language=en |date=16 December 2024}} The Labour government said it had no plans to adopt the bill.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=MP calls for first-cousin marriage to be banned |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czend1y0xjko |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Richard |date=2024-12-10 |title=MP opposes calls to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/mps-first-cousins-marriage-commons-batley-dewsbury-b1199171.html |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=The Standard |language=en}}