British-Bangladeshi Apsana Begum has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Poplar and Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, since 2019.
A question has recently arisen regarding whether she will continue as an independent or be admitted to stand for a political party in the next election.
This issue is currently being discussed in her parliamentary seat in East London, Daily Dazzling Dawn reports.
Even before the previous election, there were rumours that Apsana Begum MP might not receive her Labour Party nomination. However, at the time, it was widely believed that even if the party did not nominate her, she had a viable chance of winning as an independent candidate due to her personal popularity in the constituency.
She was ultimately nominated as the Labour candidate and went on to be elected. However, the circumstances surrounding the forthcoming election have changed significantly.
As of July 2024, Apsana Begum has been suspended by the Labour Party following her principled stance in voting against the child benefits cap for families with two children.
She has consistently remained firm in her left-wing ideals.
Among the four British-Bangladeshi Labour Party MPs, Apsana is arguably the most active in community issues, human rights causes, and local events. She has also spoken out on multiple occasions regarding various international concerns, including Palestine.
Since her election, she has been perceived as being closely aligned with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his unwavering stance on traditional Labour principles.
As a result, she was distanced from the current prime minister and party leader.
While many other Labour politicians initially shared this distance, they have since moved towards the Labour right. However, Apsana Begum, like former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, has remained steadfast in her political convictions.
Following six months as independents, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Ian Byrne, Richard Burgon, and Imran Hussain have recently been permitted to rejoin the Labour Party.
However, left-wing MPs Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana, along with former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, remain suspended.
Since their expulsion from the party is expected to be subject to review, questions remain about whether they will be allowed to run as Labour candidates in the upcoming election or if they will be permanently excluded.
Apsana Begum’s support for an SNP amendment to the King's Speech, which sought to eliminate the two-child welfare cap—a policy advanced by the Labour Party—led Prime Minister Keir Starmer to suspend her in July 2024.
The Tory-backed proposal has been widely criticized for pushing families into poverty, affecting approximately 1.6 million children.
Under the policy, most parents are prohibited from claiming child tax credits or Universal Credit for additional children beyond their first two.
After their suspensions, Zarah Sultana and Apsana Begum said that they only learned about their situation through media reports, as they were not officially informed.
"Turns out speaking up for Palestine is still a punishable offense," Zarah Sultana posted on social media upon learning that four of her colleagues would be readmitted to the Labour Party while she remained excluded.
Similarly, Apsana wrote: "I discovered through a news item that I have not been granted the return of the Labour whip after being dismissed for voting to abolish the two-child limit. In my borough, about half of all children live in poverty. To be clear, I will always defend the citizens of Poplar and Limehouse."
At present, the likelihood of Apsana, Zarah, and McDonnell returning to the Labour Party appears slim.
As a result, Zarah Sultana and Apsana Begum may contest the next election as independent candidates.
However, if Apsana stands as an independent, it is highly probable that the Labour Party will nominate a candidate of Bangladeshi origin in her seat to capitalize on the large Bangladeshi voter base in the constituency.
Commentators and residents now await confirmation of Labour’s nomination for the area and whether Apsana Begum MP will stand independently if she is not selected.
Apsana Begum, 34, was born on May 25 in Shadwell, Tower Hamlets.
She is the daughter of the late Manir Uddin Ahmed and Syeda Nazma Begum.
She has five sisters and a brother. Her father was a former mayor of Tower Hamlets.
Her family originates from Greater Sylhet, Bangladesh.
