Tahir Ali

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Tahir Ali
MP
Official portrait of Tahir Ali MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Hall Green
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byRoger Godsiff
Majority28,508 (53.9%)
Member of Birmingham City Council
for Nechells Ward
Assumed office
10 June 2004
Preceded byTariq Khan
In office
6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003
Preceded byT. Khan
Succeeded byTariq Khan
Personal details
Political partyLabour
Other political
affiliations		Socialist Campaign Group
Children4

Tahir Ali [1][2]is a British Labour politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Hall Green since 2019.[3]

Early life[]

Ali has previously worked for Royal Mail after securing an engineering apprenticeship at age 17.[1] He is an active trade unionist and served as a political officer for the Communication Workers Union.

Political career[]

Local government[]

Ali has represented the Nechells Ward on Birmingham City Council since 1999. He served as part of the council's cabinet from 2000 to 2003 and 2012 to 2016, (shadow cabinet 2004 to 2012) his responsibilities including local services, development, jobs, skills, transport and the economy.[4] In 2012, he was the only ethnic minority member of the team.[5]

Parliament campaign[]

He was selected as the Hall Green candidate after Hall Green Constituency Labour Party members overwhelmingly voted to open selections for their Parliamentary Candidate in October 2019.[6] The snap general election called for 12 December meant that the candidate selection process was undertaken by the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.[7]

The campaign was marred by intimidation from former MP Roger Godsiff's supporters, resulting in three police investigations, one arrest for malicious communications and police patrols outside polling stations.[8] Nevertheless, Ali retained the seat with a sizeable majority and hoped to "bring communities together".[9]

Member of Parliament[]

Ali endorsed Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election and Angela Rayner in the deputy leadership election.[10]

Ali has been a member of the European Scrutiny Committee since 2 March 2020.[11]

Ali has been critical of the government of Narendra Modi in India. In March 2021, Ali expressed his "absolute support for, and solidarity with, the farmers protesting in India" and called for sanctions to be imposed on the government of India, citing the "abuse the human and civil rights not only of farmers, but of Kashmiri people through the military occupation of the region".[12] Ali further said that "political opponents of Modi in India are at risk of arbitrary arrest, and the civil liberties of all Indians are being eroded by an extremist, rightwing government".[13]

Lockdown controversy[]

In April 2020, Ali was given a formal warning by police after he broke government restrictions by attending a funeral with up to 100 mourners during the coronavirus pandemic.[14] West Midlands Labour Party Police commissioner David Jamieson also publicly condemned Ali's conduct, stating that his actions were "totally irresponsible" and that he "is not serving his constituents by endangering their lives".[15] Ali issued an apology stating that he only attended as an observer and would not be attending any other similar gatherings.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Transport – Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-05. In 1989, at the age of 17, I secured an engineering apprenticeship with Royal Mail.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
  3. ^ "Birmingham Hall Green parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Elkes, Neil (2016-05-11). "The four councillors set to be sacked from Birmingham's cabinet". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2019-12-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Council cabinet decision defended". 2012-05-28. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  6. ^ Haynes, Jane (2019-10-02). "City MP in battle to keep seat after activists trigger contest". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2019-12-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (2019-11-09). "Local councillor Tahir Ali selected for Birmingham Hall Green". LabourList. Retrieved 2019-12-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Haynes, Jane (2019-12-07). "Police probe complaints over 'sinister' Hall Green election battle". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2019-12-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Haynes, Jane (2019-12-13). "Hall Green's new MP Tahir Ali calls for end to hate and division". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2019-12-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Tahir Ali MP [@TahirAliMP] (29 January 2020). "#RLB2020 for Leader #angelafordeputy" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "Tahir Ali MP, Birmingham, Hall Green – TheyWorkForYou". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 24 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Walker, Jonathan (10 March 2021). "Two Birmingham MPs call for sanctions against government of India and back farmer protests". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 March 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Wintour, Patrick (10 March 2021). "MPs hit back after India summons envoy over farmers' protest debate". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Haynes, Jane (3 April 2020). "Police issue warning to MP Tahir Ali after he attends funeral with 'up to 100 mourners'". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  15. ^ Haynes, Jane (April 3, 2020). "Police commissioner slams city MP for 'endangering lives' over funeral gathering". Birmingham Mail.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Coronavirus: MP Tahir Ali apologises after funeral during lockdown". BBC News. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green
2019–present 		Incumbent
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