| Shockat Adam | |
| Office: | Member of Parliament for Leicester South |
| Predecessor: | Jonathan Ashworth |
| Term Start: | 4 July 2024 |
| Majority: | 979 (2.3%) |
| Birth Name: | Shockat Hussain Adam Patel |
| Birth Place: | Malawi |
| Party: | Independent (part of the Independent Alliance) |
| Alma Mater: | University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology |
Shockat Hussain Adam Patel[1] (born November 1972)[2] is a British businessman, optometrist, and independent politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Leicester South since 2024.[3] [4]
Since September 2024 he has been a member of the Independent Alliance.
Adam was born in Malawi,[5] into a Muslim family of Gujarati descent and grew up in Leicester, where he attended sixth-form college. He studied optometry at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.[6] He is a director of Sask Optics which is owned by him, his wife and his brother Ismail Patel.[7]
Adam was the former Leicester chair of Muslim Engagement and Development, and spoke out against the 2022 Leicester unrest between Hindu and Muslim communities in the city.[8] [9]
Prior to his candidacy, Adam had never been a member of a political party nor had public social media. In the 2019 general election he had supported Labour Party candidate Claudia Webbe's campaign in Leicester East.[10] Adam has previously hosted hustings, and aided people in contacting their MP.
Adam was elected in the 2024 general election as an independent, beating Labour candidate and Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth in a result that was described as an upset. Backlash against Labour's position on the Israel–Hamas war was a factor in Adam's victory, with Adam saying "this is for Gaza" while holding a Palestinian keffiyeh aloft when the results were announced.[11] [12] In an interview with The Observer, Adam said his victory was not sectarian, and highlighted his concerns and campaigning regarding the housing crisis and the state of the National Health Service.[13]
On the 19 July, David Lammy announced in parliament the United Kingdom would resume funding to the UN Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).[14] [15] In a statement, Adam supported the move and described it as a result of pro-Palestestinian protesters from all backgrounds. Adam apologised for not being present in parliament due to death threats he had received. He thanked Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire police for their assistance, and stated that he would not be deterred from his work.
Adam sponsored the Independent—Green "Amendment B" to abolish the two child benefit cap, and voted in support of the Scottish National Party's "Amendment D" to abolish the cap.[16] [17] Shortly after the vote Shockat Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan, and Iqbal Mohamed produced a joint letter decrying the two major parties and stating the need for a caring alternative.[18] Adam and Corbyn had been in discussions with Khan, Hussain, and Mohamed regarding how to impact policy, with Adam stating that the five were "looking at options that would give us more access to the levers of power".[19]
On 2 September 2024, Adam was a founding member of the Independent Alliance parliamentary group.[20]
In October, Adam introduced a private members bill for the UK to recognise the State of Palestine. The bill is sponsored by the four other members of the Independent Alliance, as well as Siân Berry, Stephen Gethins, Brendan O'Hara, Liz Saville-Roberts, Kim Johnson, and Ian Byrne.[21] [22]
He is the brother of Ismail Patel, the founder of the Friends of Al-Aqsa NGO based in Leicester.[23] [7]