Shaffaq Mohammed Explained

Honorific-Prefix:	Cllr
Shaffaq Mohammed
Honorific-Suffix:	MBE
Constituency Mp:	Yorkshire and the Humber
Term Start:	2 July 2019^[1] ^[2]
Term End:	31 January 2020
Predecessor:	John Procter
Successor:	Constituency abolished
Parliament:	European
Birth Place:	Kashmir, Pakistan
Nationality:	British

Shaffaq Mohammed (born 21 July 1972)^[3] is a British politician who served as a Liberal Democrats Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Yorkshire and the Humber from 2019 to 2020.^[4] He stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Sheffield Hallam in the House of Commons at the 2024 general election, but was not elected.

Early life

Shaffaq Mohammed was born in Pakistani administered Kashmir. In April 1977 he moved to Sheffield and studied at Park House school and later on graduated from the University of Sheffield.^[5]

Political career

Sheffield City Council

Between 2004 and 2014 Mohammed served as the Liberal Democrat councillor for Broomhill Ward on Sheffield City Council. He contested Crookes Ward in 2014 and was defeated. He returned as a councillor for Ecclesall Ward in 2016 and was re-elected in 2018.

Mohammed was elected as leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Sheffield City Council in May 2011.^[6] He lost this position when he lost his seat as a councillor in 2014. Following his return to the council he was re-elected as group leader in May 2016.^[7]

In the 2015 Dissolution Honours, Mohammed was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for political service" as a councillor on Sheffield City Council.

UK Parliament

Mohammed stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2016 Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election, where he finished third with 6.1% of the vote.^[8]

He was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Sheffield Central constituency in the 2017 general election, coming fourth.^[9]

Mohammed was selected in 2023 to contest former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg's seat of Sheffield Hallam at the 2024 general election.^[10] Sheffield Hallam is considered to be a marginal seat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.^[11]

European Parliament

Mohammed served as a Liberal Democrats Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Yorkshire and the Humber from 2019 to 2020.^[12]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Key dates ahead. European Parliament . 28 May 2019 . en . 20 May 2017.
2. Web site: Key dates ahead. BBC News . 28 May 2019 . en . 22 May 2017.
3. Web site: Shaffaq MOHAMMED MEPs. www.europarl.europa.eu. 21 July 1972 . European Parliament. 11 July 2019.
4. Web site: The UK's European elections 2019 . BBC News . 26 May 2019.
5. Web site: Ann Widdecombe and Brexit Party out of order comparing EU to slave masters – Yorkshire MEP Shaffaq Mohammed. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. en. 12 July 2019.
6. Web site: Shaffaq Mohammed writes: From a boy in Kashmir – to Leader of Sheffield Lib Dems. Liberal Democrat Voice. en-gb. 2 June 2020.
7. Web site: Shaffaq Mohammed is back as leader of Sheffield Lib Dems. Mark Pack. 19 May 2016 . en-gb. 2 June 2020.
8. Web site: Brightside and Hillsborough by-election result 2016 . Sheffield City Council . 24 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160604053020/https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/elections/election-results/2016/brightside-hillsborough-by-election.html . 4 June 2016 . dead .
9. Web site: 2017 General Election: The 8 candidates in Sheffield Central. Who Can I Vote For? by Democracy Club. en-gb. 22 December 2019.
10. Web site: Pack . Mark . 23 March 2023 . Sheffield Lib Dems select Shaffaq Mohammed for Hallam . 28 January 2024 . Mark Pack . en-GB.
11. News: 6 January 2023 . Sheffield Hallam Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate stands down . 3 March 2024 . BBC News . en-GB.
12. Web site: The UK's European elections 2019 . BBC News . 26 May 2019.