Labour Party MP for Ilford South.
Jas Athwal has attracted more attention for conduct outside the chamber than for anything inside it. Since his election in July 2024, investigative and national outlets — including the BBC and Novara Media — have reported that Athwal, himself a former council leader who introduced selective licensing rules for landlords, failed to licence his own rental properties and that tenants described poor conditions in his flats. Separately, Novara Media questioned his claim to have been "cleared" of a sexual assault allegation. These stories fed into Labour's loss of a local council by-election in Ilford in March 2025, where his conduct was cited as a factor in grassroots anger. He has just two rebel votes on record: opposing a Liberal Democrat motion on proportional representation in December 2024, and supporting a tighter statutory definition of advertising exceptions in the Assisted Dying Bill in June 2025.
At 85% voting participation — broadly in line with the Commons average — and 99.6% party-line alignment, Athwal is otherwise a steady government loyalist. His stance profile shows strong alignment with progressive taxation and workers' rights, but scores among the lowest in the Commons on civil liberties, Lords scrutiny, and parliamentary accountability. He votes with Labour on fiscal and planning measures, including recent votes to streamline small housing applications away from councillor oversight. His 161 speech contributions span local government, economy and jobs, defence, and social care — a broad portfolio without obvious specialist focus.
Athwal sits on no select committees. His voting record on assisted dying is the clearest policy deviation from his parliamentary group: he sits 31 percentage points above the Labour average on pro-access votes, suggesting a consistent personal position on that issue. Recent news coverage over the past 90 days — across health, housing, and education — is broadly neutral in tone, suggesting the acute reputational controversy of 2024 has receded from headlines for now.
Jas Athwal is the Labour MP for Ilford South, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
Top eight by total divisions voted, this parliament. Volume measures engagement, not direction — see Notable Votes for free-vote moments and rebellions.
Source · The Public Whip · Hansard
Moments where the whip was free, or where Athwal broke ranks. Free votes are the truer signal of personal stance.
| Date | Bill / motion | Vote | Whip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment (b) to New Clause 14 | Yes | Freevs party |
| 3 Dec 2024 | Elections (proportional representation): Ten Minute Rule Motion | No | Freevs party |
Source · Hansard
“Student loans are a critical financial barrier absent from financial literacy teaching; young people lack proper understanding of loan terms, leading to debt of £30,000+ that suppr…”
“The grooming gangs represent a profound betrayal by protective institutions; Operation Beaconport, led by the NCA with £38 million funding, is the right vehicle for treating this a…”
“Removal of the two-child cap has lifted thousands of children out of poverty and is a sign of Labour's commitment to reducing child poverty.”
“Welcomes Government strategy but seeks urgent action on a specific case—the unsolved murder of Harshita Barela—and cooperation with Indian authorities to apprehend her alleged kill…”
Athwal holds no select-committee seat this session. New 2024-intake MPs typically wait one term before being appointed.
| Department | Qs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 39 | 25.7% |
| Home Office | 22 | 14.5% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 16 | 10.5% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 10 | 6.6% |
| Department for Education | 10 | 6.6% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 9 | 5.9% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 7 | 4.6% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 5 | 3.3% |
Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Policy paper: “Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”, published on 11 November 2025, what progress she has made on increasing investment in alternative methods.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Bangladeshi counterparts on the protection of religious freedoms for (a) Hindus, (b) Christians, (c) Buddhists, (d) Sikhs and (e)
The UK condemns all acts of violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities and continues to emphasise the importance of protecting the rights of all communities to the Bangladesh Government.Following the February 2026 elections, I visite…read full →
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities from discrimination and violence in Syria.
I refer the Hon Member to my statement on GOV.UK marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, available at the link below, which set out the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stab…read full →
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of free-school meals on children in Ilford South constituency; and whether she has considered trialling Free School Meals to children in secondary
The department is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have announced that free school meals will be extended to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, l…read full →
Type of land/property: Commercial property
Type of land/property: Commercial property
Number of properties: 3
Location: London
Ownership details: Co-owned with family member
Renta… |
Type of land/property: Residential property
Type of land/property: Residential property
Number of properties: 1
Location: Bedfordshire
Ownership details: Co-owned with a family memb… |
Type of land/property: Residential property
Type of land/property: Residential property
Number of properties: 15
Location: London
Ownership details: Co-owned with family member
Ren… |
Leader of Council and Councillor in Redbridge Council. This is an unpaid role.
Leader of Council and Councillor in Redbridge Council. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 23 July 2024) |
Source · Members API · Last amended 16 Aug 2024
| Category | £ | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 140,844 | 85.6% |
| Office Costs | 23,656 | 14.4% |
| MP Travel | 47 | 0.0% |
| Total · 45 claims | 164,547 | 100% |
Source · IPSA · FY 24_25
Nothing tabled for Athwal on the published Order Paper this week.
| Year | Constituency | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ilford South | 16,537 | 40.2% | Won |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jas AthwalWON | Lab | 16,537 | 40.2 |
Showing the MP’s own row only. Full result table: see Ilford South →