Saqib Bhatti
Mohammad Saqib Bhatti[1] MBE (born 18 June 1985)[2] is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Meriden since the 2019 general election.[3] He currently serves as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy since November 2023. He previously served as the Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Business.[4]
Saqib Bhatti | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy | |
| Assumed office 13 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Paul Scully |
| Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Business | |
| In office 30 September 2022 – 13 November 2023 | |
| Leader | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
| Member of Parliament for Meriden | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Caroline Spelman |
| Majority | 22,836 (42.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1985 Walsall, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Residence | Dorridge |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics and Political Science |
| Website | www |
Prior to serving in parliament, Bhatti founded the pro-Brexit group Muslims for Britain, which advocated for leaving the European Union (EU) in the 2016 referendum.[5][6]
Early life and education edit
Bhatti was born and raised in Walsall, West Midlands, England in a Pakistani immigrant family from Punjab.[7] His father, Younis Bhatti, is from Gujjar Khan, while his mother is from Murree. Younis is UK secretary general of the Al-Shifa Eye Trust, a Pakistan-based eyecare hospital that provides treatment to individuals who cannot afford it. Bhatti attended the London School of Economics (LSE), where he served as president of the LSE Pakistan Society.[8]
Early career edit
Bhatti is an accountant by profession.[9] In 2018, he became the President of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, becoming the youngest person and first Muslim to hold the post.[10]
Bhatti founded the group Muslims for Britain which campaigned for the UK to leave the EU during the Brexit referendum.[11] He argued that EU policy prevented immigration from South Asia and that leaving the EU would make it easier.[5][6] As of 2018[update] he was a senior policy adviser with the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe.[10]
Member of Parliament edit
After Caroline Spelman announced she was standing down as an MP, Bhatti was selected to represent the Conservative seat of Meriden at the 2019 general election, beating the political adviser Nick Timothy in the ballot of party members.[12][13]
Saqib was appointed Private Parliamentary Secretary Liz Truss, the then Secretary of State to the Department for International Trade in 2020.[14] He then moved to the Department for Health and Social Care where he served as Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP, whom he followed in resigning on 5 July 2022 in the aftermath of the Chris Pincher scandal.[15][16]
On 30 September 2022, Bhatti became the Conservative Party's Vice Chair for Business.[17]
Leadership election positions edit
In the July–September 2022 Conservative leadership election, Bhatti endorsed Liz Truss, stating that Truss "understands that for businesses to thrive, the government needs to get out of the way."[18]
Honours edit
Bhatti was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours "for services to diversity and inclusion in the business community", while he was President of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.[19]
Bhatti also holds an honorary doctorate from Aston University in Business Administration.[20]
References edit
- ^ "Members Sworn". Hansard.parliament.uk. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
- ^ James Rodger (12 December 2019). "Meriden general election results 2019 - Birmingham Live". birminghammail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "Jake Berry MP Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ a b Pickard, Jim (19 May 2016). "Vote Leave woos British Asians with migration leaflets". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ a b Parveen, Nazia (1 June 2016). "Why do some ethnic minority voters want to leave the EU?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "About Saqib Bhatti".
- ^ Shah, Murtaza Ali (26 December 2019). "British Pakistani Saqib Bhatti MP rising star of Conservatives". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Ex Downing Street chief rejected as Tory candidate". BBC News. 6 November 2019.
- ^ a b Jones, Tamlyn (27 September 2018). "Chamber installs youngest ever president". BirminghamLive.
- ^ Varley, Ciaran (27 July 2016). "The Muslims who voted for Brexit: what do they think now?". BBC Three. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Carlon, John (5 November 2019). "Former Downing Street chief Nick Timothy beaten by Saqib Bhatti in Tory's Meriden selection". Solihull Observer. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Carter, Gus (18 December 2019). "Ones to watch: The most promising new MPs of 2019". Spectator. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "Latest civil service & public affairs moves — October 5". 5 October 2020.
- ^ "Meet the political stars of tomorrow in the Midlands". 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid resign as Boris Johnson apologises for Chris Pincher 'mistake' – UK politics live". the Guardian. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ @JakeBerry (30 September 2022). "Delighted to welcome 3 new Vice Chairs to my @Conservatives team 👇💼@Bhatti_Saqib – Vice Chair for Business 🤝 @SarBritcliffeMP – Vice Chair for Youth 📚@Alex_Stafford – Vice Chair for Policy All working with me, focused on getting Britain moving" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 October 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Bhatti, Saqib (16 August 2022). "Liz Truss is bold leader we need to tackle inflation says SAQIB BHATTI". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N16.
- ^ "About Saqib Bhatti".
External links edit
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou