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Shahid Malik (b. 24 November 1967) is an activist in the British Labour Party and campaigner on community regeneration, diversity and race. He was elected as member of Parliament for the seat of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire in the May 2005 General Election. Along with Sadiq Khan, he is the first British-born Muslim to be an MP.

Biography

On leaving school Malik worked with the East Lancashire Training and Enterprise Council, working on business development - a career which eventually took him to the job of chief executive of Haringey Regeneration Agency in north London.

Malik was little known in Labour circles until he was spectacularly elected to the Labour party's all-powerful National Executive Committee (NEC) at his first attempt in 2000, in the process knocking off the darling of the far-left, Mark Seddon, Editor of the Tribune (something for which Seddon never forgave him, wreaking revenge over subsequent years with numerous Tribune diary stories targeting Malik).

Malik shot to national prominence in June 2001 during the riots in his hometown, Burnley in Lancashire. His father, Rafique, was Deputy Mayor of the town at the time. Whilst trying to calm the crowds of British Asian youths who had been confronting the police in anger over BNP demonstrations in the town, Malik was beaten by the police, handcuffed and arrested. The event was caught on television cameras and images of Malik, his face bleeding, were broadcast nationally. The British Muslim community took great offence, asking why a prominent Muslim attempting to intervene helpfully was treated so aggressively . In December 2001, Malik publicly criticised then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, for his comments on immigrants that Malik felt could increase support for the far-right .

Malik had hoped to be selected in Burnley where Peter Pike had indicated he was standing down. However, Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) decreed that an all-women shortlist (http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,884344,00.html) should be imposed on the Constituency Labour Party leading to complaints from his supporters and the Muslim community who generally have great hopes for Malik . Malik, however, responded to the decision by writing an article in the Guardian reafirrming his support for the policy of all-women shortlists. He stood for selection in Brent East after Labour lost the 2003 by-election but was controversially left off the shortlist, despite winning more nominations and votes than other candidates - indeed Malik had more votes than the sum of the votes of two male candidates (Robert Evans and Raj Jethra) who went on to be shortlisted. Insults were traded that the selection had been 'stitched-up' for Robert Evans, the by-election candidate. Yasmin Qureshi went on to win the Brent East selection but then failed to regain the safe Labour seat at the general election in May 2005.

It was suggested that Malik had overstated his opposition to the war in Iraq in an attempt to be selected in Brent East. He complained to the Press Complaints Commission over these newspaper reports which were subsequently retracted acknowledging Malik had expressed opposition previously. Malik also began legal proceedings against fellow Labour NEC member, Mark Seddon, editor of Tribune over the same accusations.

Malik was a Commissioner of the Commission for Racial Equality from 1998 to 2002 and served as the only British member of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. He was vice chairman of UNESCO UK, and a race equality adviser to the Home Office, Prison Service and Middlesex University. He spent 5 years as a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee - until his election to Parliament in May 2005 meant he had to relinquish his seat - and was also a member of Gordon Brown's Economic Policy Commission.

Soon after being elected to Parliament he became the only member of the new Labour intake to be appointed to the prestigious Home Affairs Select Committee. He subsequently picked up the House Magazine award for best Maiden Speech of the new parliament. In January 2006 he went on to pick up the winner's trophy in the Annie's Bar pool competition, the highlight of the parliamentary sporting calendar.

London bombings

Since the London bombings of 7 July 2005, Shahid Malik has played a prominent role as one of the youngest public faces of Muslim leadership in the UK. He has been outspoken in his criticism of some of the responses to the bombings, and some of the suggestions of what needs to be done. He was invited him to join a national working group of key Muslim leaders seeking answers to the bombings. He has called not just for internal reform within Muslim commuities, but also for the rest of society to help tackle poverty and isolation of minority groups.

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Shahid Malik MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Shahid Malik MP
• BBC story on Burnley riots 26 June 2001
• Transcript of maiden speech to the House of Commons

• 1968 births
• British Asian politicians
• British MPs
• Commissioners for Racial Equality
• Living people
• UK Labour Party politicians