A Keighley councillor has defended his record after the Prime Minister was urged in Parliament to block him from standing in May’s local elections.
Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore (Conservative) raised Councillor Mohsin Hussain’s past conviction during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 25 February, asking Sir Keir Starmer to intervene.
The Prime Minister responded: “I thank him for raising this. I will look into it straight away and give him a full answer.”
Past conviction raised at PMQs
In 2014, when he was 19, Cllr Hussain was convicted of attacking a man with a pickaxe handle during a street assault in Keighley.
He received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
Cllr Hussain later stood for election in Keighley Central as a Labour candidate in 2021. He was elected and re-elected in 2024.
Defending the challenge against him Cllr Hussain, posted a statement on his social media, saying:
“When I was elected in 2021, I did not hide from my past. I told the press myself that as a teenager I made a poor decision, one I regret deeply. Since then, I have worked tirelessly to serve our communities in Keighley Central with integrity and dedication.”
MP calls for intervention
During PMQs, Mr Moore said:
“In 2014, a man in my constituency was ambushed, violently beaten with a pickaxe handle and left lying in the street with serious injuries. At the time of the conviction, the judge described it as a ‘brutal’ attack.
“Many constituents have contacted me to express concern that the perpetrator remains a sitting Labour councillor and was recently pictured celebrating an election alongside individuals convicted of dealing crack cocaine and heroin.
“Prime Minister, on behalf of all victims of serious crime, will you, as Leader of the Labour Party, ensure that Councillor Mohsin Hussain is not permitted to stand in the local elections this May?”
Councillor: “My community gave me a second chance”
Responding to the comments, Cllr Hussain told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he believed the issue was being raised for political reasons.
“It is disappointing but not surprising that the MP has chosen to use PM’s Question Time to raise this when Keighley Central is one of the most deprived areas of the country,” he said.
“He tried in 2021 and failed. He tried in 2024 and failed. We now have all-out elections coming up.”
He added:
“Society is about giving people second chances, and I’m proud my community have allowed me this second chance. People knew about my past and still elected and re-elected me. I told the public the truth and they made an informed choice.”
Photo allegation addressed
The photograph referenced in Parliament was taken in 2023 and shows Cllr Hussain seated at a restaurant table with several others. It has been alleged that some individuals present have drug-related convictions.
Cllr Hussain denied any association.
“I have no association with those individuals whatsoever,” he said. “If I’m invited to eat at a restaurant, I can’t control who attends or know what people may have done in the past.
“I condemn drug supply and work very hard with the police to tackle this issue.”
He said his party had been fully aware of his conviction when he first stood for election in 2021 and again in 2024.
“The conviction dates back to 2014. The photograph was taken in 2023,” he said. “There is nothing new here.”
Sir Keir Starmer has said he will look into the matter.
