Sadiq Khan

Biography:

Sadiq Khan has been the Labour MP for Tooting since May 5th 2005. Throughout 2010 and 2015 he has covered different roles in the Shadow Government: from May to October 2010 he has been Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, then he has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor, an office he held until May 2015. Moreover, he has been Shadow Minister for London from 2013 to 2015.

Interested in social issues, in 2013 he received death threats over his vote in favour of the same-sex marriage bill.

In October 2008 Sadiq was promoted to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Communities and Local Government. After the 2010 general election he became shadow justice secretary.

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. In his in the Ministry he helped pass the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act, the Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity Act) and the Forced Marriages Act.

In early 2007 he became 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 has 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 is the first politician ever to be nominated for such an award).

Before becoming a Minister Sadiq was very active as a backbencher 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 was 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 got married in 1994 in Wandsworth. Sadiq’s wife, also a solicitor, was born and raised in Tooting. They have 2 daughters.

Constituency: Tooting

Constituency Address:
58 Trinity Road

Tooting
SW17 7RH

Date of Birth: 08/10/1970

Email: sadiqkhanmp@parliament.uk

Party: Labour

Personal Website: http://www.sadiqkhan.org.uk

Westminster Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel: 020 7219 6967

Twitter: @SadiqKhan