Mohammad Saqib Bhatti[1] MBE (born 18 June 1985)[2] is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Meriden since the 2019 general election.[3] He currently serves as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy since November 2023. He previously served as the Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Business.[4]
Saqib Bhatti | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy | |
| In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Paul Scully |
| Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Business | |
| In office 30 September 2022 – 13 November 2023 | |
| Leader | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
| Member of Parliament for Meriden and Solihull East] Meriden (2019–2024) | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Caroline Spelman |
| Majority | 22,836 (42.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1985 Walsall, West Midlands, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Residence | Dorridge |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics and Political Science |
| Website | www |
Prior to serving in parliament, Bhatti founded the pro-Brexit group Muslims for Britain, which advocated for leaving the European Union (EU) in the 2016 referendum.[5][6]
Early life and education
Bhatti was born and raised in Walsall, West Midlands, England in a Pakistani immigrant family from Punjab.[7] His father, Younis Bhatti, is from Gujjar Khan, while his mother is from Murree. Younis is UK secretary general of the Al-Shifa Eye Trust, a Pakistan-based eyecare hospital that provides treatment to individuals who cannot afford it.
Bhatti was privately educated at King Edwards VI School in Edgbaston,[8][9] before studying law at the London School of Economics (LSE), from where he graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree.[7] Whilst at university, he served as president of the LSE Pakistan Society.[10]
Early career
Bhatti is an accountant by profession.[11] In 2018, he became the President of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, becoming the youngest person and first Muslim to hold the post.[12]
Bhatti founded the group Muslims for Britain which campaigned for the UK to leave the EU during the Brexit referendum.[13] He argued that EU policy prevented immigration from South Asia and that leaving the EU would make it easier.[5][6] As of 2018[update] he was a senior policy adviser with the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe.[12]
Member of Parliament
After Caroline Spelman announced she was standing down as an MP, Bhatti was selected to represent the Conservative seat of Meriden at the 2019 general election, beating the political adviser Nick Timothy in the ballot of party members.[14][15]
Saqib was appointed Private Parliamentary Secretary Liz Truss, the then Secretary of State to the Department for International Trade in 2020.[16] He then moved to the Department for Health and Social Care where he served as Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP, whom he followed in resigning on 5 July 2022 in the aftermath of the Chris Pincher scandal.[17][18]
On 30 September 2022, Bhatti became the Conservative Party's Vice Chair for Business.[19]
Leadership election positions
In the July–September 2022 Conservative leadership election, Bhatti endorsed Liz Truss, stating that Truss "understands that for businesses to thrive, the government needs to get out of the way."[20]
Honours
Bhatti was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours "for services to diversity and inclusion in the business community", while he was President of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.[21]
Bhatti also holds an honorary doctorate from Aston University in Business Administration.[22]
References
External links
