Afzal Khan MEP

FIGHTING FOR YOU
IN PARLIAMENT
DISABILITY RIGHTS
One group that could
be major potential
losers from Brexit
is disabled people.
Job assistance to
thousands of people with disabilities, access
requirements to buildings and public transport,
and the right to legal defence against unfair
denial of social care services could all be lost
as a result of Brexit. I, along with other Labour
MEPs are campaigning to ensure that all these
rights are retained despite Brexit.
STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE
In September I spoke at SIPRI the Security Conference on Secure Cities in
Stockholm. This was a major international meeting of experts from over
50 countries examining how to make modern cities safe. In my remarks I
detailed on how Greater Manchester has worked together to tackle gangs
and organised crime.
NUCLEAR FREE WORLD
In July I raised the issue of Nuclear weapons, during a committee hearing with
the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation.
A nuclear free world is something that I have been fighting for throughout my
whole political career. It is vital that we do everything we can to persuade more
countries to sign up to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and to reduce the
number of nuclear weapons that states have.
S&D POSITION
This year I was appointed the S&D
groups special representative to
Muslim communities. In this role I
serve as a bridge between Europe’s
Muslims, the socialist political
establishment and the wider society
at this critical time.
Part of my activities will include visits
to several European countries, talking
to community leaders and politicians.
I will connect British community
organisations of different faiths to
partners in France, Germany, Italy
and Denmark.
ISLAMOPHOBIA REPORT 2015
In May I helped launched the EU’s
Islamophobia report 2015. The
report is unique in many ways. It
incorporates 25 national reports
discussing trends in Islamophobia
over the year. The report highlights
the attacks suffered by the
radicalisation of the far-right and how
discrimination has had an impact on
so many lives across Europe.
The report will form a vital knowledge
basis for understanding Islamophobia
and how best to combat it.
ZERO HOURS -
Labour MEPs have
been working for the
European Commission
and national
governments to take
action on exploitative
zero-hours contracts. The majority of the
Parliament backed our call but the Tories and
UKIP voted against. I believe that if you work
regular hours, you should have a regular
contract, and that is why I will keep working to
end zero-hours contracts in the UK.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
POLICIES -
Labour MEPs have
supported measures
calling for national
governments to
adopt more family friendly policies and to fully
implement the parental leave directive. The
measures - which Conservative MEPs voted
against - seeks to modernise parental leave
provisions throughout the European Union,
and calls on all EU countries to introduce highquality,
accessible childcare facilities.
TAX AVOIDANCE –
Tax avoidance is
a major concern
following the Panama
Papers scandal and
Labour MEPs supported tough new measures
at European level to crack down on avoidance
and increase tax transparency. I believe that
the UK should continue to enforce these new
measures post Brexit and I’ll be pressing the
UK government to commit to doing so.
TTIP –
Before the Brexit
vote I was working
with Labour MEPs to
ensure TTIP was a fair
deal that works for
the UK. Labour MEPs
led the opposition to the NHS being included
in any TTIP deal and that workers’ rights and
conditions would be protected.
Afzal Khan MEP ANNUAL REPORT 2016