Mohammad Yasin is the Labour MP for Bedford, having first been elected to parliament at the 2017 general election.

In the 2024 general election for the Bedford constituency, Yasin received 18,342 votes, representing 45.1% of the vote share. The Conservative candidate, Pinder Chauhan, received 8,912 votes (21.9%), while the Reform UK candidate, Matt Lansley, secured 4,548 votes (11.2%). Yasin was duly elected with a majority of 9,430 votes. 

Bedford constituency covers the county town of Bedford and the neighbouring town of Kempston in Bedfordshire, East of England. It has a notably diverse population.  

The seat has historically been marginal between Labour and the Conservatives. It was held by the Conservatives from 2010 until Yasin gained it for Labour in 2017. He held the seat in 2019 by just 145 votes, making it Labour’s most marginal seat at that time, before substantially increasing his majority in 2024.

Political Career

Yasin was one of three Labour MPs stripped of their government trade envoy roles in July 2025 after voting against the government on its flagship welfare bill. The group, which also included Rosena Allin-Khan and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, lost their positions following the rebellion over the government’s flagship welfare bill.

Yasin served as the trade envoy to Pakistan, having been appointed in January 2025.

Upon his initial appointment, Yasin posted to social media: “This is an incredible opportunity to foster stronger trade ties, promote investment, and unlock mutual growth between our two great nations.”

In March 2018, Yasin was one of four Muslim MPs who received suspicious packages at Westminster containing Islamophobic letters and “sticky liquid”. The contents were later confirmed to be harmless by police investigating the incidents.  

Yasin was a member of the House of Commons housing, communities and local government committee (2019-2024) and the education committee (2023-2024).

Yasin is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for adult social care, Bahrain, immigration detention and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Yasin delivered his maiden speech on 13 July 2017 during a debate marking the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.

In it, he said: “The future of our hospital and its services have been in doubt for far too long. Since 2011, under this government and the previous one, a string of expensive and inconclusive reviews have cast a shadow over the hospital, lining the pockets of management consultants while hard-working frontline staff have gone without pay rises.”

He added: “I made the journey from Kashmir to Bedford in 1992. Soon I was married and working in a factory. Later I became a taxi driver, which I continued to do until my election to parliament.

“I can honestly say that from the moment I arrived in Bedford, I made it my home – but ever since, it is Bedford that has made me. I am very thankful for that.”

Prior to entering parliament, Yasin served as a Labour councillor on Bedford Borough Council from May 2006 until May 2019.

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour leadership 2020: Yasin was one of 82 Labour MPs who nominated Keir Starmer for the party’s leadership in early 2020. The election was triggered by the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn following the party’s defeat in the 2019 general election, which resulted in Labour’s fewest seats in the House of Commons since 1935.

Starmer’s 82 nominations were the highest of any candidate. The shadow Brexit secretary won a decisive victory in the first round with 56.2% of the vote, defeating Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy.

In a statement issued during the campaign, Yasin praised Starmer’s “vision and optimism for Labour’s future.”

He added: “I believe he can bring the leadership necessary to rebuild trust and establish Labour as a united force for good so we can win the next election and deliver the credible and radical change needed to tackle the profound injustices and inequality in our economy and society…

“He will make a formidable opponent to Boris Johnson – Keir’s honesty, integrity, dedication to public service and superb grasp of detail is just what the country needs.”

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Yasin supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of his constituents, 51.9% of whom voted to Leave.

Remain pledge: During the 2019 general election campaign, Yasin was one of 193 Labour candidates to sign the anti-Brexit “Remain pledge”, drawn up by the campaign group Remain Labour.

It stated: “Labour is committed to a confirmatory referendum, to give you the final say on Brexit. If elected as your Labour MP, I pledge to campaign to Remain in the EU.”

Brexit trade deal: In December 2020, Yasin was among the 37 Labour MPs to rebel against the leadership’s position on the EU (Future Relationship) Bill – which enabled the government to implement and ratify its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. Keir Starmer, the newly elected Labour leader, argued that while the trade deal negotiated by Boris Johnson’s government was “thin” and flawed, the only alternative at that late stage was a “no-deal” exit. To enforce the leadership’s position, a three-line whip was imposed. Yasin abstained over the bill. One Labour MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, voted against the bill.

Electoral reform

Fair elections APPG: Yasin is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for fair elections – a cross-party group of MPs and peers that campaigns for electoral reform. The group’s stated aims include replacing the first past the post (FPTP) voting system with a form of proportional representation, eliminating “dark money” and “undemocratic influence” from politics, and countering disinformation.

Electoral reform amendment: In May 2026, Yasin was one of over 70 Labour MPs who signed an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill, calling on the government to establish a “national commission on electoral reform”. Tabled by Alex Sobel as chair of the fair elections APPG, the amendment aimed to force a rethink of the first past the post voting system.

At the time, Sobel described FPTP as “one of the biggest examples of a broken status quo in UK politics.” He invited colleagues to join this “common sense call to take a fresh look at how parliament is elected in modern Britain.”

Proportional representation bill: In December 2024, Yasin voted in favour of the Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill – introduced by Liberal Democrat frontbencher Sarah Olney under the 10-minute rule procedure. The bill sought to “introduce a system of proportional representation for parliamentary elections and for local government elections in England”.

A total of 138 MPs supported the bill – with 136 opposed. Notably, 59 Labour MPs backed Olney’s bill.

Introducing the bill, Olney told the House: “First past the post is a broken and unfair system. This summer, the Labour party won a landslide election victory, securing 63% of seats in the House of Commons in return for just 34% of the vote.

“The system leaves millions of voices unheard and creates a divisive, adversarial political climate where collaboration is discouraged and accountability is often sidestepped.”

Welfare

Welfare ‘reasoned amendment’ (June 2025): Yasin was one of the over 120 Labour MPs to sign the reasoned amendment to the government’s flagship welfare bill which aimed to reject the proposed legislation.

The amendment, in the name of senior Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, objected to the fact that the bill had not been subject to a “formal consultation with disabled people” and that “250,000 people will be pushed into poverty” as a result of it, according to a government impact assessment.

The motion also called on the government to wait for the publication of the review into the Personal Independence Payment (Pip), helmed by minister Sir Stephen Timms, and the independent review, conducted by Sir Charlie Mayfield, into how the employment of disabled people could be boosted.

Welfare vote (July 2025): Yasin went on to abstain over the bill at second reading. The vote came after ministers agreed to significant concessions to avoid defeat via a mass rebellion of Labour MPs on 1 July 2025.

Assisted dying

Yasin voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Yasin voted against a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Social media ban: In January 2026, Yasin was one of over 60 Labour MPs to sign a letter to the prime minister calling for the introduction of an Australia-style ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. Organised by Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas, the initiative brought together a cross-factional coalition of backbenchers – spanning the Socialist Campaign Group, Tribune Group and Blue Labour – to demand action.

The letter called on Keir Starmer to “show leadership” by introducing a minimum age for social media access “to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms”.

It stated: “We are all strong supporters of technology, and of this Labour government’s ambition to use tech to improve lives. But successive governments have done far too little to protect young people from the consequences of unregulated, addictive social media platforms.”

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Yasin was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Ceasefire vote (November 2023): Yasin was among 56 Labour MPs to vote in favour of a Scottish National Party (SNP) amendment to the King’s Speech in the House of Commons calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza – defying the instruction set out by the party’s frontbench. Labour had tabled its own motion, making a more moderate appeal for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict and ordered its representatives to support that stance.

Before Politics

Yasin was born in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, on 10 October 1971. His father worked as a truck driver.

Yasin obtained a bachelor of commerce degree from Degree College Mirpur.

He moved to Bedford at the age of 21. His first job was in a factory, where he became involved in trade union activities and subsequently joined the Labour Party. He later worked as a taxi driver before being elected to Bedford Borough Council.  

Personal Life

Yasin is married and has four children. He is of British Pakistani heritage.  

Trivia

Yasin’s constituency of Bedford was Labour’s most marginal seat following the 2019 general election, held by a majority of just 145 votes.