|
Sadiq Khan is the
Labour MP for Tooting, having been elected on May 5th 2005.
In October 2008 Sadiq was promoted to Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Communities
and Local Government. His responsibilities
include; fostering greater community cohesion (including
being Joint-Chair of the Migration Impacts Forum),
preventing violent extremism, local government policy and
finance, Planning casework cases and Regional Spatial
Strategies and the Fire and Rescue Service.
In July 2007, the new Prime
Minister appointed Sadiq a Minister in the Government
Whip's Office where he had special responsibility for managing
Ministry of Justice legislation. Whilst a Whip at
the Justice Department he helped pass the Criminal Justice and
Immigration Act, the Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity
Act) and the Forced Marriages Act.
Previously Sadiq was
the Parliamentary Private
Secretary to Rt Honourable Jack Straw MP, who was then
Leader of the House of Commons.
Sadiq was a member of the prestigious Public Accounts Select
Committee between 2005 and 2007.
Sadiq was awarded 'Newcomer of the Year' by the
Spectator Magazine Parliamentarian of the Year awards 2005.
He was also runner up in Channel 4's 'Rising Star'
award, and was been described as 'one to watch' by
both The Independent and The New Statesman. In 2008, Sadiq
was awarded the Muslim News Award for Excellence. (He
was the
first politician ever to be nominated for such an award).
As a
backbencher Sadiq was very active in the Chamber, with a very high attendance
record, and had spoken in several debates including those on
young people's participation in democracy, citizenship and
integration, House of Lords
reform, equalities legislation, the NHS, Legal Aid, Climate
Change, Affordable Housing, International Development and
the London 2012 Olympics.
Sadiq has been the Chair of the All Party Group of
Citizens Advice Bureau, Vice Chair of the All Party
Parliamentary Group on Child and Youth Crime and
Chair of the PLP Home Affairs Committee.
In 2008
Sadiq was made a Fellow of the Industry and Parliament
Trust, for his work in fostering understanding between
business and parliament.
He is Vice
Chair of the
Fabian Society, a patron of Progress and a member
of Friends of the Earth and SERA. He belongs
to the GMB and UNISON trade unions and is a
member of the CWU group of MPs.
Sadiq is
Patron of the Polka Theatre Company and is also an active member of the UKPFC (UK
Parliamentary Football Club) and the Lords and Commons
Cricket Club.
Sadiq was a Councillor for Tooting ward in the London
Borough of Wandsworth from 1994 until 2006 (and was
deputy Leader of the Labour Group for 5 years). He was
23 when first elected and responsible for, amongst other
things, the Conservative Council being required to change its policy on
affordable housing.
He was awarded the title of Honorary Alderman for the
London Borough of Wandsworth in June 2006.
Prior to becoming the MP for Tooting, Sadiq was a Human
Rights solicitor having been a founding partner of one
of the country's leading Human Rights firms. He was listed,
in his last year as a practicing solicitor, as one of the
county's leading lawyers in two separate categories of law
in the Chambers and Partners directory 2004-05 (Human Rights
and Police law).
He has acted in a number of landmark cases in all major
Courts (including the European Court of Human Rights, House
of Lords, Court of Appeal), and Tribunals. Prior to being a
MP, he had also written, lectured and appeared in the media
on a range of issues. He was co author to Police Misconduct:
Legal Remedies (LAG 4th edition 2005) and Challenging
Racism; Using the Human Rights Act (Lawrence and Wishart
2003).
As a lawyer, Sadiq gave evidence to the Homes Affairs
Select Committee on a number of occasions, and to the
Privy Council of the House of Lords.
Sadiq was Chair of Liberty (NCCL) for 3 years
and Vice Chair of Legal Action Group (LAG) for a
number of years. He has advised a number of the country's
major voluntary and community groups.
Sadiq was also previously a visiting lecturer at
University of North London and London Metropolitan
University, and a former governor of South Thames FE
College.
Since 1994, he has been Governor of the primary school he
attended as a child. Since 2004 he has been Chair of
Governors of the country's first purpose built Islamic ethos
primary school.
Sadiq was born in St George's Hospital in Tooting in
1970. His early years were spent in a council flat in the
Henry Prince Estate in Earlsfield. He attended local primary
schools and the local comprehensive, Ernest Bevin Secondary
School before going to University to study Law. He completed
the Law Society finals at the College of Law in Guildford.
Sadiq is an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club
and Surrey County Cricket Club respectively, and
tries to watch them as often as is possible.
He was married in 1994 in Wandsworth. Sadiq's wife,
also a solicitor, was born and raised in Tooting. They have 2
daughters aged 9 and 7.
|
