Sir Keir Starmer suspends Bradford Labour councillor with violent criminal conviction after case raised at PMQs
The Prime Minister has suspended a Bradford councillor with a violent criminal conviction from the Labour Party, The Yorkshire Post understands, after the case was raised in Parliament.
Tory MP Robbie Moore asked whether Keighley Central Coun Mohsin Hussain should be able to stand in Bradford’s May elections at Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon/yesterday.
The Keighley and Ilkley MP raised the councillor’s conviction for causing actual bodily harm and dangerous driving more than a decade ago in the House of Commons, with Sir Keir Starmer saying he would look into this “straight away”.
Coun Hussain described his conviction to this paper as a “mistake” and said: “I genuinely believe that everybody should obviously receive a second chance.”
However, it is understood this afternoon the Labour Party suspended him pending an investigation.
A spokesperson said: “These are serious allegations. The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures."
Mr Moore told the House of Commons today: “In 2014, a man in my constituency was ambushed and violently beaten with a pickaxe handle and left lying in the street with serious injuries.
“At the time of the conviction the judge called it a ‘brutal attack’.
“Many constituents have contacted me to express their concern that the perpetrator of this attack is still a sitting Labour councillor in Keighley, and was recently pictured celebrating an election with convicted crack cocaine and heroin dealers.
“Prime Minister, on behalf of all victims of serious crime will you, as the leader of the Labour Party, ensure that Coun Mohsin Hussain is not permitted to stand in the local elections this May?”
Sir Keir responded, thanking the Tory MP for raising this and said: “I will look into this straight away.”
Coun Hussain was 19 when he was handed a suspended prison sentence for his involvement in an armed street attack on a man in Keighley.
He was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, along with 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Coun Hussain told The Yorkshire Post: “Like I’ve said before I made poor decisions in the past.
“It was in my teenage years when a mistake was made and I genuinely believe that everybody should obviously receive a second chance.
“I was quite happy that I did receive that second chance.
“The people of Keighley Central elected me in 2021 and then re-elected me in 2024. This is just a campaign against me from Robbie Moore.
“It’s been year on year when he’s tried to bring my reputation down.”
Regarding the photograph Mr Moore raised from 2024, Coun Hussain said that he may have been at meals with people convicted of drug offences but this was “out of my control”.
“I’m always invited into meals and I don’t control the audience, I don’t control who the host calls,” he said.
“People are called and there are probably people there who have got convictions, but that’s out of my control.
“I have absolutely no connection with these people, myself personally, and I condemn drug supply in Keighley.”
Mr Moore has repeatedly raised the case of Coun Hussain with the Labour Party, previously writing to chair Anna Turley.
The councillor was pictured with Sir Keir Starmer ahead of the 2024 local elections, although it appears the then Labour Party leader was unaware of Coun Hussain’s past.
The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.