Jas Athwal is the Labour Party MP for Ilford South, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election for the Ilford South constituency, Athwal won 16,537 votes, representing 40.2% of the vote. Independent candidate Noor Begum received 9,643 votes (23.4%), while the Conservative candidate, Sayeed Syduzzaman, secured 6,142 votes (14.9%). Jas Athwal was duly elected with a majority of 6,894.

The Ilford South constituency is located in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London.

The immediate predecessor MP was Sam Tarry, whom Athwal defeated for the Labour nomination prior to the election. Before Tarry, the seat was held by Mike Gapes from 1992 to 2019. Gapes was among the Labour MPs who formed the Independent group (later Change UK) in 2019.

Political Career

Athwal is listed as a member of the all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) for British Sikhs (chair), industrial hemp and obstructive sleep apnoea.

In August 2024, Athwal said he was “profoundly sorry” following reports that he had rented out properties with black mould and ant infestations. A contemporary BBC News report suggested Athwal owned 15 rental flats.

An August 2024 Financial Times report named Athwal as the “biggest landlord” in the House of Commons.

Athwal delivered his maiden speech on 22 October 2024 during a debate on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill.

In it, he said: “As a member of this House I am determined to deliver on the promise of Ilford South, to ensure that families can find a welcoming home, safe streets, exceptional schools and the opportunity to succeed.

“In Ilford South our communities came together to save King George Hospital’s A&E department, and now this Labour government will save our NHS so that hard-working healthcare professionals can deliver the lifesaving care that patients deserve.”

He added: “At just seven years old, I travelled to Ilford from the Punjab, not speaking a word of English or knowing anyone outside my family, yet Ilford gave me a home, an outstanding education and opportunities to build a better life. Ilford gave me a community without whom I would not be standing here today.”

Athwal served as the Leader of Redbridge London Borough Council from 2014 to 2024. He was first elected as a Labour councillor for the Mayfield ward in 2010, representing the ward until February 2025. He became Labour group leader in Redbridge in 2011.

Athwal was suspended by the Labour Party before the formal selection meeting for the Ilford South candidature in 2019 following allegations of sexual harassment. The timing in effect precipitated the selection of Sam Tarry, a Momentum activist who formerly served as director of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign.

Wes Streeting, who served as deputy leader under Athwal on Redbridge London Borough Council, rode to his defence.

Streeting said: “I thought nothing could shock me about how the powers that be operate, but I was wrong. The Ilford South selection is a new low. Here is my statement on the suspension of the Leader of the Council 15 hours before the vote. The selection must be suspended until this is resolved.”

In a statement at the time, Athwal said: “Untrue allegations were made against me on 13 August. I responded in detail to the Labour Party on 20th August, with supporting evidence including witness statements, proving the allegations were untrue.

“No reply was received from the Labour Party. Nothing was heard until late yesterday, my solicitor was emailed at 11pm, advising that I was suspended from the Labour Party.

“This is not a fair process. It is contrary to natural justice. All I seek is a fair hearing and due process. The Labour Party has had every opportunity to deal with this matter properly and fairly in the past seven weeks and chose only to act late yesterday by suspending me when I had no time to challenge that decision.”

Athwal was later cleared by a Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC) investigation. In October 2020, speaking to the Guardian, he said he was the victim of a “politically motivated” process.

He stated: “In that two-week period, I thought of [suicide] often,” he said. “It was the darkest time. I’ve got four lovely children. I’ve got a lovely wife. I’ve got an amazing life.. And I’ve got so much to live for. But you almost feel you’ve dragged everybody down into the mud and that, basically, you need to finish it all off and walk away.”

Athwal successfully challenged and defeated Tarry for the Labour nomination for the 2024 election.

In October 2022, local Labour members voted by 499 votes to 361 to select Athwal after every branch in his constituency voted to trigger the full reselection proceedings.

Tarry went on to complain that there had been “vote rigging” in the contest.

Political views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Starmer stand down: In May 2026, Athwal publicly called for Keir Starmer, the prime minister, to step down/set out a timetable for his departure. The move followed the 2026 local elections and devolved elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru.

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Athwal was one of 175 Labour MPs who nominated Bridget Phillipson for the party’s deputy leadership in September 2025. The election followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after an investigation into her tax affairs. It marked the first time since 2007 that Labour had held a deputy leadership contest while in government.

Phillipson, the serving education secretary, was widely viewed as the candidate favoured by Downing Street and the party leadership. She secured 175 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 80 required to reach the final ballot. She was ultimately defeated by Lucy Powell.

Factional identity and party tradition

Get Britain Working Group: Athwal has been listed as a member of the Get Britain Working Group of Labour MPs – a caucus supportive of the Starmer leadership’s position on welfare. The group argues for a “new social contract built on employment and opportunity”, focusing on the rising number of people out of the workforce due to long-term sickness.

In an open letter, issued upon the group’s founding in March 2025, the group expressed its support for the government’s welfare measures set out in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. The bill was subject to a significant revolt of over 120 Labour MPs – which forced ministers into a series of concessions shortly before its first vote in the House of Commons.

Ahead of the bill’s fraught second reading debate, the MPs wrote: “Our Labour values are built on a simple but powerful idea: that every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, should have the support they need to make the most of their lives.

“Everyone who is capable of working deserves the security, dignity and agency that employment offers. Of course, there are some people who are not able to work and they must be treated with compassion and respect. But for those that can, we must restore the pathways to opportunity which are currently so sparse for millions of people.

“It is exactly what a Labour government exists to do.”

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Athwal voted in favour of the government’s flagship welfare 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

Athwal voted in favour of 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): Athwal voted in favour of 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.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Athwal 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.

Before Politics

Born Jasbir Singh Athwal in Punjab, India, in September 1963, he moved to Ilford with his family when he was around seven years old. He attended Mayfield School in Ilford.

Athwal previously founded and owned children’s nursery businesses located in Derby and Essex.

Personal Life

Athwal lives in Ilford. He is married and has four children.

He is a Sikh.

Trivia

A stand at the ground of Woodford Town FC, a local football club, was named the “Jas Athwal Stand” in 2020 in recognition of his support for the club.