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Pak-born MP faces the sack over tainted private life
Khalid Mehmood has caused outrage by abandoning two Muslim wives, both of whom have a child by him, writes Nabanita Sircar.
A Pakistan-born Labour MP, Khalid Mahmood, who was promoted in Tony Blair's ministerial reshuffle, faces the sack by his local party after a revolt over his alleged shocking private life. The 43-year-old Birmingham MP has caused outrage by abandoning two Muslim wives, both of whom have had a child by him.
It is reported that he is now having an affair with failed Tory parliamentary candidate Elaine Cohen, 45. It is alleged that he made Cohen, who is Jewish, his £20,000 a year Commons assistant soon after he developed relations with her last year.
Labour sources, according to the Mail, accuse the MP of neglecting his constituency duties by making parliamentary trips to Dubai and Pakistan, where he reportedly stayed at luxury hotels with Cohen. Some complain that she made him shave off his moustache, which is regarded as a symbol of virility among Muslim men.
One source was quoted saying that Cohen thinks she is Jemima Khan to Mahmood's Imran. Labour whips are aware of Mahmood's tangled love life but they approved his appointment as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Transport Minister by Blair.
Mahmood consistently supported Blair's Iraq war policy and was reportedly made PPS to head off growing calls by Muslim activists in his constituency to deselect him. But the promotion stoked more trouble for him in his constituency, which has huge segment of Pakistani-origin people.
Muslims in Birmingham, reportedly, claim that Mahmood has broken his promise to them to be devout follower of Islam. They are also upset that he claimed that he was married to Cohen, although in reality he is just living with her, a woman who is married to someone lese. Some of his critics have tried to get a fatwa issued against him.
While Mahmood has refused to comment, Cohen said that they planned to marry soon after she got her divorce. But his opponents allege no divorce proceeding is pending.
When the elections expected next year come, Blair will have a huge problem to resolve. He would wish to give party nomination to Mahmood because of the MP's support for the Iraq war but Blair could then annoy a large number of Muslims in Birmingham, whose support would be vital to get Labour candidates elected.
