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Councillor
Jas Athwal
MP
Official portrait, 2024.
Member of Parliament
for Ilford South
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded bySam Tarry
Majority6,896 (16.8%)
Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council
In office
12 June 2014 – 25 July 2024
DeputyKam Rai
Preceded byKeith Prince
Succeeded byKam Rai
Member of Redbridge London Borough Council
for Mayfield
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Personal details
BornSeptember 1963 (age 61)
Punjab, India
Political partyLabour
Residence(s)Ilford, London
EducationMayfield School
Websitejasathwal.com

Jasbir Singh Athwal[1] (/ˈdʒæz ˈæθwɒl/,[2] born September 1963) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the MP for Ilford South since July 2024. He previously served as Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council from 2014 to 2024.

Early life and education

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Jas Athwal was born in the Punjab state in India, in September 1963,[3] into a Punjabi Sikh family. When Jas was seven years old, his father relocated to Ilford, in London, England to work at a Ford factory, before being joined a few years later by Jas and his mother, neither of whom spoke English at the time. His mother worked at home sewing ties.[4] He attended Mayfield School in Ilford.[5]

Business career

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Athwal founded and owned children's nursery businesses in Derby and Essex, which are now owned by his wife.[6][7][8] One of these companies was criticised by Ofsted over breaching child safety rules at three of its properties. The problems have now been resolved and the nurseries are ranked "good" by Ofsted.[7]

Political career

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Local councillor

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In the 2010 local elections, Athwal was elected as a Labour councillor for the Mayfield ward on Redbridge London Borough Council, taking the seat from the Conservative Party with a majority of 1368 votes.[9]

Athwal was elected to lead the Labour Group on Redbridge Council on 11 October 2011, with 15 of the 21 votes. This followed a vote of no confidence in the previous leader, Cllr Bob Littlewood.[10][11]

In the 2014 local elections, Athwal led the Redbridge Labour Party to win its first ever majority on Redbridge Council, gaining 11 seats to give Labour a total of 35 of the 63 seats, winning control from the incumbent Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.[12] Athwal was elected to serve as the first-ever Labour majority Leader of Redbridge Council.[13] Wes Streeting, later elected as Member of Parliament for Ilford North, was his first Deputy Leader.

At the May 2018 borough elections, Athwal led the Labour Party to another victory, securing 51 of the 63 seats. This left the Conservative opposition with 12 councillors and the Liberal Democrats with none.[14]

In 2019, Athwal was elected executive member for Crime and Public Protection of London Councils, the local government association that represents London's 32 Borough Councils.[15][16]

2019 general election

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Shortly before the 2019 general election, Athwal stood to be selected to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for his home constituency of Ilford South, with the incumbent Labour MP Mike Gapes having defected to Change UK.[17] Athwal was suspended from the party on the evening before members were due to vote, on the basis of serious allegations of sexual harassment.[18] Athwal denied the allegations and called for due process.[19][20] Sam Tarry, Athwal's rival in the contest, was subsequently selected in a vote a few weeks later.[21][22][20] The timing of Athwal's suspension on the evening before the vote, was publicly questioned by neighbouring MP, Wes Streeting, since Tarry had close links to Jeremy Corbyn.[20][23] The leader of the Conservative opposition on Redbridge Council urged Athwal to stand down as leader until the matter of his disputed suspension from the Labour Party was resolved.[19] Redbridge Labour Group responded with a statement that "While this process runs its course, Jas Athwal will continue as Leader of Redbridge Council with our full support".[24]

On 15 September 2020, Athwal was cleared of wrongdoing by the Labour Party, and his suspension was lifted. Athwal called for an independent probe into the way that he was suspended on the eve of the selection vote.[25][26]

2024 general election

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On 10 October 2022, Athwal was selected as the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for the Ilford South constituency at the 2024 election, defeating the incumbent Sam Tarry, by 499 votes to 361.[27] In April 2024 Tarry submitted a complaint about the vote saying discrepancies in the Labour membership list suggested tampering.[28]

Athwal was elected as MP for Ilford South on 4 July 2024 with 40.2% of all votes, and a majority of 6,894.[29] He was succeeded as Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council by fellow councillor Kam Rai.

Housing

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As a politician

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Following the 2014 local elections, Athwal made council housing a key part of his administration's programme, having built the first new council houses in Redbridge in 10 years.[30] He has a target to build 1000 new affordable homes in an effort to end homelessness in Redbridge.[31] Athwal also actively supported the Dubs amendment for unaccompanied children in Calais and in 2016, visited the Calais "jungle" refugee camp.[32]

Athwal's housing strategy has caused controversy locally. In 2019 a petition was signed by over 3000 residents, in opposition to the Labour administration's plan to build temporary accommodation on the sites of two green spaces in Hainault, in the north of the borough.[33][34] The plans were introduced in 2018 as a response to Redbridge Council's statutory duty to house 2,300 homeless households, a national reduction in local authority funding, and a consensus that the available hostel accommodation was unsuitable for families.[35] Plans for both sites included preserving and developing the play areas and remaining green space.[36] In response to alleged incidents of abusive language, Athwal blocked some residents on social media. Defending Athwal's decision to block some local residents on social media, the Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council invited blocked residents to contact Councillors through existing official channels.[37]

As a landlord

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As a private individual, Athwal is the largest landlord in the House of Commons, owning 15 rental flats.[38][39] He has described himself as a "renter's champion", and says he will not rent to tenants in receipt of housing benefit "to avoid conflicts of interest with his role as the local council leader."[40][41][38]

Athwal has been described as a slum landlord[42][43][44][45] after the BBC reported in August 2024 that he "rents out flats with black mould and ant infestations". According to the BBC almost half of his tenants in one block (of seven flats) reported they had to frequently remove mould from their bathroom ceilings. Another resident told the BBC they had been threatened with eviction if they complained about problems.[41] The BBC report also revealed other problems with some of Athwal's rental flats including non-compliance with the required selective property licence (introduced by Athwal himself), dirty communal areas with lights not working, fire alarms hanging loose from the ceiling and slow or no response to complaints.[41]

Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer said the state of the properties was "unacceptable" and that Athwal should put it right quickly, but rejected calls to remove the party whip from him. Athwal dismissed the managing agent for the properties, saying he was furious for not having been made aware of the problems. Athwal instigated a survey of tenants to discover the problems to be remedied, and said he would reimburse tenants for their out-of-pocket costs.[46] Housing minister Matthew Pennycook criticised Athwal the following week when he introduced the new Renters (Reform) Bill, saying relying on a letting agent was not sufficient and "Landlords have a responsibility to ensure their properties are well maintained and well managed".[47]

On 27 October 2024, it was revealed that Athwal was the landlord of an unsafe private care home own by Heartwood Care. The Londoner reported that children from the home, which is run by Athwal's friend Daljit Johal, had gone missing and been left at risk of criminal exploitation.[48] Reacting to the news, the Conservative Party called for an investigation, with a spokesperson saying: "These are serious allegations, and it would only be right for an investigation to be launched. Mr. Athwal has already been found to be renting out substandard properties, despite feigning interest in the rights of renters. He must come clean and address these allegations head on."[48] Heartwood Care later issued a statement denying the allegations.[49]

Personal life

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Athwal is a Sikh. He lives in Ilford, is married and has four children.[50] Athwal is an avid supporter of local football club Woodford Town FC, who in 2020 named the stand at their new ground in Woodford Bridge, the 'Jas Athwal Stand' in recognition of Athwal's contribution to bringing it back home to Redbridge.[51][52]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 752. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Cllr Jas Athwal Ekota Hub launch". YouTube. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Jasbir Singh ATHWAL personal appointments – Find and update company information – GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. ^ Brown, Rivkah (24 October 2024). "Jas Athwal Claims He Was Cleared of Sexual Assault. Was He?". Novara Media. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  5. ^ @Jas_Athwal (22 August 2024). "Great to head back to my old school @Mayfield_School" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 September 2024 – via Twitter.}
  6. ^ Chacko, Roy (2 June 2020). "Redbridge Conservatives call council leader 'hypocritical' for re-opening nursery in Derby". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b Gartside, Ben (18 September 2024). "Nursery firm founded by rogue landlord Labour MP accused of breaching safety rules". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Jas Athwal - Registered Interests". UK Parliament. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  9. ^ "2010 Local Election Results". my.redbridge.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Councillor Jas Athwal". Redbridge Council. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  11. ^ Curtis, Joe (12 October 2011). "REDBRIDGE: Labour elects new leader". East London & West Essex Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  12. ^ Hill, Dave (23 May 2014). "Local elections: Labour wins control of Redbridge council for first time". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  13. ^ Kemble, Harry. "Cllr Jas Athwal reflects on journey to becoming Redbridge Council leader". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  14. ^ Colombeau, Joseph (October 2018). "London Borough Council Elections: 3 May 2018" (PDF). London Datastore. Greater London Authority. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  15. ^ Walawalkar, Aaron (21 February 2019). "Redbridge Council leader appointed crime lead for London Councils". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Statement from Cllr Jas Athwal | London Councils". www.londoncouncils.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  17. ^ Braddick, Harriet Line & Imogen. "Redbridge Council leader suspended from Labour Party over 'serious allegation'". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  18. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (5 October 2019). "Ilford South selection reopened after frontrunner suspended". LabourList.
  19. ^ a b "Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal urged to step aside". East London and West Essex Guardian. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  20. ^ a b c Braddick, Imogen (23 October 2019). "Sam Tarry wins Labour's Ilford South parliamentary selection contest". The Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  21. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (22 October 2019). "Sam Tarry wins Ilford South selection to replace Mike Gapes". LabourList. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Ilford South hopeful who switched support to Jas Athwal complained of 'colonial tactics' to 'grab votes'". OnLondon. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  23. ^ Murphy, Simon (5 October 2019). "Labour reopens applications for safe seat after 'stitch-up' accusations". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  24. ^ Redbridge Labour [@redbridgelabour] (7 October 2019). "Statement by Redbridge Labour Group" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 August 2020 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (16 September 2020). "Streeting calls on Starmer to launch probe into council leader suspension". LabourList. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  26. ^ "Redbridge Council leader cleared of Labour 'axe to grind' complaint". BBC News. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  27. ^ "Sam Tarry: Former shadow minister ousted in deselection vote". BBC News. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  28. ^ Quinn, Ben (3 April 2024). "Deselected Labour MP Sam Tarry submits 'vote rigging' complaint". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  29. ^ "Ilford South – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  30. ^ "New Homes for Residents". Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  31. ^ "Redbridge Council turning entrepreneur in effort 'to house our own'". Ilford Recorder.
  32. ^ "Equality & Diversity". Jas Athwal. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  33. ^ Walawalkar, Aaron (13 March 2019). "Housing homeless in Hainault parks: 3,000-signature petition against plans handed to Downing Street". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  34. ^ Braddick, Imogen (31 July 2019). "'Devastated' campaigners lose legal battle to stop container homes being built on Hainault park". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  35. ^ "Minutes of Redbridge Council Cabinet Meeting". London Borough of Redbridge. 11 December 2018.
  36. ^ "Appendices to agenda item 14, minutes of Redbridge Council Cabinet Meeting". London Borough of Redbridge. 11 December 2018.
  37. ^ "Council leaders respond after being slammed for blocking social media users". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  38. ^ a b "New Labour MP is biggest landlord in House of Commons". www.ft.com. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  39. ^ Young, Max (1 July 2024). "Labour Replacement Candidate for Sam Tarry Has Extensive Property Portfolio". Guido Fawkes. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Labour MP is now the biggest landlord in the Commons". Landlord Today. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  41. ^ a b c "'Ants are everywhere': Labour MP's tenants reveal state of flats". BBC News. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  42. ^ "Labour MP Jas Athwal sacks letting agent after mould scandal". BBC News. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  43. ^ Smoke, Ben (3 September 2024). "The mouldy, ant-infested flats that prove why MPs should never be landlords". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  44. ^ Gartside, Ben (18 September 2024). "Nursery firm founded by rogue landlord Labour MP accused of breaching safety rules". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  45. ^ Reporter, Sebastian Mann | Local Democracy (20 September 2024). "Landlord Labour MP Jas Athwal faces renewed calls to resign over squalid properties". Asian Standard Newspaper. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  46. ^ Martin, Daniel (2 September 2024). "State of Labour MP's rental flats unacceptable, says Starmer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  47. ^ Cecil, Nicholas (11 September 2024). "Housing minister Matthew Pennycook raps fellow London MP Jas Athwal for state of homes rented out". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  48. ^ a b Kersley, Andrew (27 October 2024). "Exclusive: Labour MP Jas Athwal is the landlord of a failing children's home". The Londoner.
  49. ^ "Slum landlord Labour MP now profiting from failing children's home where kids are at risk". 29 October 2024.
  50. ^ "Ilford South: Anger in the undergrowth as Redbridge deputy leader enters selection fray". OnLondon.
  51. ^ Boyle, Caislin (7 December 2020). "Woodford Town FC returns to its rightful home as new stadium opens in Ashton Playing Fields". Ilford Recorder. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  52. ^ "Woodford Town Is Coming Home As Work Begins". Woodford Town FC. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Ilford South
2024–present 		Incumbent
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