Ali Milani
 Ali Milani     | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1995 |
| Alma mater | Brunel University |
Ali Milani is a British Labour Party politician. He is standing as the party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) in Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, a seat held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has the smallest constituency majority of a prime minister since 1924. In the UK/2017 General Election, Johnson's majority halved to roughly 5,000. The seat was classified by conservative think-tank Onward as "vulnerable" in April 2019.[1]
In the UK/2019 General Election PM Boris Johnson was re-elected as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, after defeating Labour's Ali Milani by 7,210 votes (2,176 more votes than the majority at the 2017 General Election).[2]
Contents
Unseating the PM
| Ali Milani, the 'antithesis' of Boris Johnson |
The candidate trying to oust the PM from the seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip is Ali Milani, a 24-year-old Muslim immigrant, who describes himself as the 'antithesis' of Boris Johnson.
On 14 November 2019, he tweeted:
- It’s official: Boris Johnson will be standing in Uxbridge & South Ruislip.
- This is going to be an extraordinary fight. One that may define our future.
- Just imagine the world we’ll wake up to on December 13th.
- Bring it on.[3]
Jews Against Boris
On 17 November 2019, thirty Jews Against Boris activists went door-knocking for Labour Party candidate Ali Milani in Boris Johnson’s seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Rivkah Brown, one of the JAB canvassers, said:
- “My personal relationship with the Labour Party has been complicated by the events of the last few years, and I understand why many in my community feel unable to vote for them.
- “However all racisms are interconnected and Jews cannot be safe while other minorities are under threat. Boris Johnson has incited a hateful and divisive politics that endangers all marginalised people. That is why being part of a group of British Jews who show solidarity with other communities is so important at this election.
- "I'm proud to campaign for the working-class Muslim immigrant, Ali Milani, who is – in an incredible act of poetic justice – going to defeat our born-to-rule Islamophobic prime minister."[4]
Hustings debate
After Boris Johnson withdrew from a Channel 4 News debate planned for 24 November 2019 with Jeremy Corbyn, Ali Milani said the prime minister was also ducking out of a local hustings event, leading to its possible cancellation:
- "Name any time that works for you. My team will organise the venue, details and all logistics. All you have to do is show up. Show an ounce of integrity. Come debate me. What do you have to worry about?"[5]
Rich Blake-Lobb, pastor at Yiewsley Baptist Church where the event is being held, said the organisers may 'empty-chair' the prime minister if he does not confirm he will show up:
- "We have not heard from Mr Johnson, his team or anyone from the Conservative Party."
The church is reviewing the scheduled date 6 December 2019, in order not to clash with the BBC's head-to-head debate timing. The church has now confirmed that it will go ahead "most likely a day earlier". The church's website also states that the Liberal Democrat and UKIP candidates have also not yet confirmed. Only Labour's Ali Milani and the Green Party's Mark Kier were listed as attending.[6]
Background
Milani was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved to the UK at the age of five. He studied International Relations at Brunel University in Uxbridge, where he became President of the Union of Brunel Students (2015–2017). In 2017, Milani became the Vice President for Union Development at the National Union of Students (NUS), and he was re-elected in 2018.
Milani became a local councillor in Hillingdon in 2018 and was chosen in September as the PPC for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Standing against Boris Johnson, Milani will campaign on local issues and if elected, would become the first person to unseat a UK prime minister. The constituency is "vulnerable" according to an April 2019 report by conservative think-tank Onward. Al Jazeera have reported that Milani's views "tilt heavily to the Labour Party's left" and Vice magazine have stated that Milani is affiliated with the grassroots left-wing movement Momentum.
Unreserved apology
In 2017, Milani was criticised over anti-Semitic tweets he made between 2011 and 2013, in which he claimed that Israel had "no right to exist" and used "#Jew" as a slur, amongst other things. He "apologised unreservedly" for the comments, and said in 2019 that "I have lots of Jewish friends and colleagues who've sat me down, and I've learned from them. But it's within everyone's right not to accept my apology."[7]
Afghanistan
Criticised Desmond Swayne MP for supporting the Afghanistan/2021 withdrawal.[8]
References
- ↑ "Meet Iranian immigrant, 24, who is set to take on Boris Johnson for Uxbridge seat"
- ↑ "Uxbridge and South Ruislip: Conservative hold"
- ↑ "It’s official: Boris Johnson will be standing in Uxbridge & South Ruislip"
- ↑ "Young left-wing Jews canvass for Labour candidate seeking to oust Boris Johnson"
- ↑ "Leaders' election TV debate cancelled after Boris Johnson refuses to take part"
- ↑ "Boris Johnson may be empty-chaired at his own constituency hustings"
- ↑ "The view from Uxbridge: young voters battle to oust Johnson from his own seat"
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ARMilani_/status/1427985250672590859?s=20
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