Shockat Adam
MP
Member of Parliament
for Leicester South
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byJonathan Ashworth
Majority979 (2.3%)
Personal details
Born
Shockat Hussain Adam Patel

November 1972 (age 51)
Malawi[1]
Political partyIndependent (part of the Independent Alliance)
Alma materUniversity of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
Websiteshockatadam.org

Shockat Hussain Adam Patel[2] (born November 1972)[3] is a British businessman, optometrist, and independent politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Leicester South since 2024.[4][5]

Since September 2024 he has been a member of the Independent Alliance.

Early life and career

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Adam was born in Malawi,[1] into a Muslim family of Gujarati descent and grew up in Leicester, where he attended sixth-form college. He studied optometry at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.[6] He is a director of Sask Optics which is owned by him, his wife and his brother Ismail Patel.[7]

Adam was the former Leicester chair of Muslim Engagement and Development, and spoke out against the 2022 Leicester unrest between Hindu and Muslim communities in the city.[8][9]

Prior to his candidacy, Adam had never been a member of a political party nor had public social media.[6][10] In the 2019 general election he had supported Labour Party candidate Claudia Webbe's campaign in Leicester East.[6][10] Adam has previously hosted hustings, and aided people in contacting their MP.[6]

Parliamentary career

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Adam was elected in the 2024 general election as an independent, beating Labour candidate and Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth in a result that was described as an upset. Backlash against Labour's position on the Israel–Hamas war was a factor in Adam's victory, with Adam saying "this is for Gaza" while holding a Palestinian keffiyeh aloft[7] when the results were announced.[11][12] In an interview with The Observer, Adam said his victory was not sectarian, and highlighted his concerns and campaigning regarding the housing crisis and the state of the National Health Service.[13]

On the 19 July, David Lammy announced in parliament the United Kingdom would resume funding to the UN Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).[14][15] In a statement, Adam supported the move and described it as a result of pro-Palestestinian protesters from all backgrounds.[15] Adam apologised for not being present in parliament due to death threats he had received. He thanked Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire police for their assistance, and stated that he would not be deterred from his work.[15]

Adam 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.[16][17] Shortly after the vote Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed produced a joint letter decrying the two major parties and stating the need for a caring alternative.[18] 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".[19]

On 2 September 2024, Adam was a founding member of the Independent Alliance parliamentary group.[20]

Personal life

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He is the brother of Ismail Patel, the founder of the Friends of Al-Aqsa NGO based in Leicester.[21][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Jones, Owen (14 July 2024). He Defeated Starmer Ally - Then Labour Attacked Him Over Gaza. Now He Speaks Out. w/. Shockat Adam (Video interview). Event occurs at 2m45s.
  2. ^ "'This is for people of Gaza': Shockat Adam takes Labour's Jonathan Ashworth's Leicester South seat". Sky News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Shockat Adam PATEL personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Leicester South | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  5. ^ Siddique, Haroon (7 July 2024). "Who are the pro-Gaza independents who unseated Labour MPs?". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Rodgers, Sienna (5 September 2024). "The Shockat Adam interview: 'Why would anybody want to be an MP?'". Politics Home. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Pogrund, Gabriel (14 July 2024). "The election shock, the Gaza leaflets and the police investigation". Sunday Times. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  8. ^ Specia, Megan (2 October 2022). "Tensions That Roiled English City Have Roots in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  9. ^ Goldberg, Adrian (21 September 2022). "'The First Time Politics in Our City was Played on Religious Grounds'". Byline Times. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  10. ^ a b Sykes, Ed (19 June 2024). "Ex-Labour voters say party 'kicked them in the teeth', insists independent challenger to Jon Ashworth". The Canary.
  11. ^ "Huge Shock As Labour Attack Dog Jonathan Ashworth Loses His Seat". Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Pro-Gaza candidates squeeze Labour vote in some constituencies". BBC News. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  13. ^ Jayanetti, Chaminda (6 July 2024). "Independent Muslim who beat Labour in Leicester says victory was not 'sectarian'". The Observer. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  14. ^ "UK to resume funding UN Gaza aid agency, David Lammy says". BBC News. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Noble, Samantha (20 July 2024). "New Leicester MP skips Commons over 'potential death threat'". BBC News. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  16. ^ Green, Daniel (18 July 2024). "King's Speech: Government to face four amendments on two-child benefit cap". LabourList. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  17. ^ staff, Politics co uk (23 July 2024). "How every MP voted on the two-child benefit cap amendment". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  18. ^ Gye, Hugo; Vaughan, Richard (24 July 2024). "Corbyn trying to form rebel alliance to fight Starmer after Labour benefits revolt". inews. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn in talks to form new group with independent MPs". BBC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  20. ^ Elgot, Jessica (2 September 2024). "Jeremy Corbyn to form alliance with four independent pro-Gaza MPs". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  21. ^ Harpin, Lee (6 July 2024). "New MP who said election win was 'for Gaza' is brother of Islamist group founder". Jewish News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
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