29 Facts About Jas Athwal

Jasbir Singh Athwal is a British Labour Party politician who has been the MP for Ilford South since July 2024.

Jas Athwal previously served as Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council from 2014 to 2024.

Jas Athwal was born in the Punjab state in India, in September 1963, 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.

Jas Athwal founded and owned children's nursery businesses in Derby and Essex, which are now owned by his wife.

Jas Athwal was elected to lead the Labour Group on Redbridge Council on 11 October 2011, with 15 of the 21 votes.

Jas Athwal was elected to serve as the first-ever Labour majority Leader of Redbridge Council.

At the May 2018 borough elections, Jas Athwal led the Labour Party to another victory, securing 51 of the 63 seats.

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

Shortly before the 2019 general election, Jas 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.

The leader of the Conservative opposition on Redbridge Council urged Jas Athwal to stand down as leader until the matter of his disputed suspension from the Labour Party was resolved.

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".

On 15 September 2020, Jas Athwal was cleared of wrongdoing by the Labour Party, and his suspension was lifted.

Jas Athwal called for an independent probe into the way that he was suspended on the eve of the selection vote.

On 10 October 2022, Jas Athwal was selected as the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for the Ilford South constituency at the 2024 election, defeating the incumbent Sam Tarry, by 499 votes to 361.

Jas Athwal was succeeded as Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council by fellow councillor Kam Rai.

In November 2024, Jas Athwal voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.

In December 2024, Jas Athwal voted against the Ten Minute Rule motion for having a more proportional representation of electing parliament opting to maintain the House of Commons existing first past the post voting system.

Jas Athwal has a target to build 1000 new affordable homes in an effort to end homelessness in Redbridge.

Jas Athwal actively supported the Dubs amendment for unaccompanied children in Calais and in 2016, visited the Calais "jungle" refugee camp.

Jas Athwal has been described as a slum landlord after the BBC reported in August 2024 that he "rents out flats with black mould and ant infestations".

Prime Minister and Labour leader Keir Starmer said the state of the properties was "unacceptable" and that Jas Athwal should put it right quickly, but rejected calls to remove the party whip from him.

Jas Athwal dismissed the managing agent for the properties, saying he was furious for not having been made aware of the problems.

Jas 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.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook criticised Jas Athwal the following week when he introduced the new Renters 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".

On 27 October 2024, it was revealed that Jas Athwal was the landlord of an unsafe private care home owned by Heartwood Care.

Mr Jas Athwal has already been found to be renting out substandard properties, despite feigning interest in the rights of renters.

Jas Athwal must come clean and address these allegations head on.

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.