Afzal Raja Amin is a British former Conservative Party aspirant politician and former prospective parliamentary candidate for Dudley North constituency for the 2015 general election until his resignation over claims of conspiring with the involvement of the English Defence League.[1] He served as an officer in the British Army for eleven years.[2]
Personal life[]
Afzal Amin grew up in the Black Country and went to schools in Smethwick and Oldbury, before going to Sandwell College. His parents migrated to Britain from Pakistan.[3] Amin studied Arabic and studied in Mauritania and then went on to gain a degree from SOAS.[4]
He has been married to his wife Michelle for twenty years and they have two adult children together.[5]
Military career[]
Amin's grandfather was a military policeman in the British Indian Army and served several tours in Europe during World War II.[3] He then joined the Royal Engineers as a Territorial Army soldier in Oldbury.[6] He was commissioned second lieutenant on the General List in August 1999.[7]
Amin resigned his TA commission in January 2002[8] to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Educational and Training Services Branch of the Adjutant General's Corps (Regular Army) in April 2003. He was promoted lieutenant.[9]
He saw operational service in Iraq and three times in Afghanistan. He was chairman of the Armed Forces Muslim Association.[10] His last posting was at the Army’s Counterinsurgency and Stabilisation Centre. Additionally, he was employed as a visiting researcher and lecturer for the UK Defence Academy's Research and Assessment Branch.[11] He claims to have served as education officer to both Prince William and Prince Harry.[citation needed] He was promoted captain in October 2005[12] and retired from the Army in April 2013.[13]
Political career[]
Amin was selected as the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the marginal seat of Dudley North in February 2013.[14]
However, in March 2015, Amin was suspended from the Conservative Party for allegedly collaborating with the English Defence League in an attempt to win votes.[15] He claimed he was the victim of a sting.[16] Amin was secretly recorded plotting by Tommy Robinson, formerly of the EDL. Amin promised to be an “unshakeable ally” for the EDL in parliament and to help bring their views to the mainstream.[17] Amin denied any wrongdoing but resigned as the Conservative election candidate on 23 March 2015.[18]
On 26 March, Amin was replaced by new Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Les Jones.[19]
References[]
- ↑ "Afzal Amin resigns as Conservative candidate in Dudley North". BBC News. 23 March 2015. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32024045.
- ↑ "Afzal Amin: from dream Conservative candidate to fall from grace". 22 March 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/22/afzal-amin-conservative-candidate-profile-tory.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ethnic Minorities in Britain". FCO. http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/EthnicMinoritiesinBritain%5B2%5D,0.pdf.
- ↑ "Global Strategy Forum: Speaker Biography of Afzal Amin" 'Global Strategy Forum" (PDF). October 2014. http://www.globalstrategyforum.org/wp-content/uploads/SpeakerBiographies22.10.14-.pdf.
- ↑ "Tories announce Dudley North MP contender". Dudley News. 13 Feb 2013. http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/news/10219980.Tories_announce_Dudley_North_MP_contender/.
- ↑ "On Remembrance Sunday, I Will Think of My Friends and Colleagues Who Did Not Return". Huffington Post. 7 November 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/afzal-amin/remembrance-sunday_b_6122110.html/.
- ↑ "No. 56327". 11 September 2001. p. 10632. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56327/supplement/10632
- ↑ "No. 56465". 29 January 2002. p. 1126. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56465/supplement/1126
- ↑ "No. 56952". 3 June 2003. p. 6799. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56952/supplement/6799
- ↑ "Muslim officer condemns brutal attack". 24 May 2013. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/mobile/news/main-topics/general-news/muslim-officer-condemns-brutal-attack-1-5704820.
- ↑ "Reviews Journal December 07". https://www.rusi.org/downloads/assets/Reviews_Journal_Dec07.pdf.
- ↑ "No. 57813". 15 November 2005. p. 14698. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57813/supplement/14698
- ↑ "No. 60643". 1 October 2013. p. 19285. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60643/supplement/19285
- ↑ "Afzal Amin selected as Conservative PPC for Dudley North". https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2013/02/afzal-amin-selected-as-conservative-ppc-for-dudley-north.html.
- ↑ "Tory Election Candidate Suspended Over Plot". Sky News. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tory-election-candidate-suspended-over-plot-222747323.html#u3zGTF8.
- ↑ Jonathan Walker (23 March 2015). "Tory candidate Afzal Amin must be thrown out, Ed Miliband claims". Birmingham Post. http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/tory-candidate-afzal-amin-must-8901437.
- ↑ "Tory candidate suspended over alleged plot to stop fake EDL mosque protest". March 22, 2015. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/afzal-amin-tory-candidate-told-fess-over-alleged-plot-stop-fake-edl-mosque-protest-10125655.html.
- ↑ "Afzal Amin resigns as Conservative candidate in Dudley North". 23 March 2015. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32024045.
- ↑ "WATCH: Les Jones chosen to replace Afzal Amin as Dudley North Conservative candidate". https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/03/27/les-jones-chosen-to-replace-afzal-amin-as-dudley-north-conservative-candidate/.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Afzal Amin and the edit history here.