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Shahid Malik

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Shahid Malik (b. 24th 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. He is the first British-born Muslim to be an MP.

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

Although well-known in Labour circles, 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 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 has long held parliamentary ambitions and put himself forward in many seats. He had hoped to be selected in Burnley where Peter Pike had indicated he was standing down. However, an all-women shortlist was imposed on the Constituency Labour Party leading to complaints from the Muslim community who generally have great hopes for Malik . He stood for selection in Brent East after the 2003 by-election but was controversially left off the shortlist, despite winning more branch nominations than anyone else. Insults were traded that the selection had been 'stitched-up' for Robert Evans, the by-election candidate, and that Malik is a carpet-bagger, touting himself around any constituency and saying anything in the hope of getting a Labour seat (although he had stood for fewer than many sitting MPs) . Yasmin Qureshi went on to win the Brent East selection.

It was also 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 member of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. He is vice chairman of UK UNESCO and a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee. He is Chief Executive of Inclusive Futures, Burnley and a race equality adviser to the Home Office, Prison Service and Middlesex University. He is also a member of Gordon Brown's Economic Policy Commission.

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