Ayoub Khan

Ayoub Khan (born 1972 or 1973) is a Pakistan-born British independent politician and barrister who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Perry Barr since 2024. Khan has served as a councillor for Aston on Birmingham City Council since 2022, and formerly from 2003 to 2004 and 2005–2012, also formerly serving as a cabinet member on the council.

A member of the Liberal Democrats until his resignation prior to the 2024 general election, since September 2024 he has been a member of the Independent Alliance parliamentary group.

Early life and education

Ayoub Khan moved to England from Ratta, Azad Kashmir at six months old. He attended Prince Albert Primary School, Duddeston Manor Secondary School and Josiah Mason College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham and a Masters in Engineering (MEng) in Integrated Management Systems from the University of Birmingham . He studied Law at the University of Central England and completed his Bar Vocational Training Course at the BPP Law College London and qualified as a Barrister in 2007 after being called to the bar in 2005. He is a member of Lincoln’s Inn.

Political career

Councillor

Khan was first elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in the Aston ward in Birmingham Council in 2003. He lost the seat in 2004, but successfully challenged the result through an Election Petition at the High Court which determined that the Labour Party candidates were involved in postal voter scandal. He went on and won the by-election in 2005. He represented the Aston Ward again from 2005 to 2012 He served as a member on the City Council's cabinet.

In 2008, Khan alleged the use of underhanded tactics by Labour opponent Muhammad Afzal. In 2009, Afzal was cleared, and Khan was declared to have made unsubstantiated claims against Afzal by the election commissioner, Timothy Straker QC. The leader of Birmingham council's Labour group, Albert Bore, said that he should be barred from contesting the 2010 general election. Khan appealed the decision to the High Court, claiming that the judges findings were "perverse" and "unsubstantiated"; Khan was unsuccessful in his appeal. Khan said that the judgement was "beyond my belief" and that he would fight to clear his name. Afzal also reported Khan to the Bar Standards Board, who found Khan clear of wrongdoing. An internal Liberal Democrat investigation cleared Khan of any wrongdoing, and he was maintained as their prospective parliamentary candidate.

He contested the Birmingham Ladywood constituency at the 2010 general election, and came second to Labour's Shabana Mahmood. He also contested the West Midlands constituency at the 2014 European Parliament election, at which he was also not elected.

During the 2018 Birmingham Council election contested the election in his old ward of Aston, but was unsuccessful. In the 2022 Birmingham Council election Khan again stood in Aston, and was successful in being re-elected to the City Council. The win was in part attributed to a Gifting Scandal, which led to a high court case and the downfall of Labour Councillor Mohammad Afzal.

Following the outbreak of the Gaza war, Ayoub Khan and fellow Liberal Democrat councillor Izzy Knowles proposed a motion within the Birmingham City Council calling to recognise the negative effects of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; the increase in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate; and notes the Council's duty of care to the people of Birmingham, and to promoting peace, tolerance and respect." The motion notably called for the council to support a Homes for Palestine refugees programme inspired by the Homes for Ukraine programme.

Khan faced controversy after he created videos on TikTok saying that evidence of those killed or harmed in 7 October attacks should be publicly released and saying that Suella Braverman was misguided over her claims that the " from the river to the sea Palestine will be free" slogan is anti-semitic. Some considered the posts anti-semitic, while the Liberal Democrats conducted an investigation in relation to the posts and dismissed the complaints. Khan apologised to members of his community for any offence caused by the posts. Khan was offered antisemitism training by the Liberal Democrats but refused to undertake any training as he was not required to do such. Khan stated "at no stage have I considered my material on TikTok offensive. It illustrates doesn’t it how the media can get it wrong".

Councillor Ayoub Khan also presented a motion to Birmingham City Council proposing that private hire drivers be allowed to use bus lanes while on duty. He argued that private hire drivers provide essential services, such as transporting elderly and vulnerable passengers to shopping centres or hospital appointments, and young children with special needs to school, often during peak travel times when congestion is at its highest. He suggested that allowing these drivers to use bus lanes would reduce congestion and emissions in the city, as well as lead to faster journey times for passengers. However this motion was opposed by all the Labour Councillors and as a result failed.

In addition to his efforts at the city council level, Ayoub Khan, serving as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr, tabled an Early Day Motion in the UK Parliament on September 11, 2024. This motion expressed solidarity with Uber and other private hire drivers across the UK, highlighting the challenges they face, including precarious working conditions and lack of employment rights. It called on the government to implement measures to protect these workers from exploitation and ensure they receive fair pay and employment protections.

Member of Parliament

In May 2024, a general election was called. A precondition of standing as a Liberal Democrat was that Khan would have been limited by the Party when talking about the war against Gaza. Instead, he resigned from the Liberal Democrats and stood as an independent candidate for the Birmingham Perry Barr constituency. During the election campaign, his wife suffered a brain injury in a fall, which resulted in Khan reducing his campaigning efforts to be with his wife. Khan said that it was eye opening and provoked him to "double down efforts" with reducing NHS wait times. Ayoub Khan was elected as an independent MP for Perry Barr, with 35.5% of the vote, overturning the incumbent Labour MP Khalid Mahmood's 15,000 vote majority to win by 507 votes.

Khan 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. Both amendments were voted down by the Labour Party. Shortly after the vote Ayoub Khan, Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, and Iqbal Mohamed produced a joint letter decrying the two major parties and stating the need for a caring alternative. 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".

On 2 September 2024, Khan was a founding member of the Independent Alliance parliamentary group.

In February, Khan tabled a motion to make a visa scheme for Palestinians with family ties in the United Kingdom.

Personal life

As of 2024, Khan continues to live in his childhood neighbourhood of Aston with his wife and their six children.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Ayoub
1970s births
Living people
Alumni of Birmingham City University
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
UK MPs 2024–present
Independent members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom
Pakistani emigrants to England
People from Aston
Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands
Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors
British activists for Palestinian solidarity
British barristers
Councillors in Birmingham, West Midlands