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APSANA Begum slammed the Labour Party leadership for failing in its duty of care today as she returned to the party backbenches.
The MP for Poplar and Limehouse, a survivor of domestic violence, signed off on sick leave from Parliament after what she described as a “sustained campaign of misogynistic abuse and harassment” from her ex-husband as well as her local Labour Party.
In an interview with Novara Media, Ms Begum said that the lack of support from the Labour leadership was “because I’m a socialist, because of my politics, because I’m a Muslim woman of Bangladeshi origin and because I’m working class.”
Ms Begum, who has represented her constituency since 2019, and is the first ever hijab-wearing MP, accused the Labour leadership of “facilitating” her domestic abuser in an effort to get rid of her.
She added the leadership was empowering her ex-husband “to continue his abuse and harassment to get rid of me for factional purposes.”
Between 2013 and 2015, Ms Begum was in what she describes as an abusive marriage to Labour activist Ehtasham Haque.
After she escaped the relationship, Ms Begum claims Mr Haque still sought to control her – this time not by monitoring her finances or forbidding her to see friends, but by leveraging his influence in the party.
Despite being suspended from the party in 2021 following allegations of harassment from Ms Begum, Mr Haque remained a Tower Hamlets Labour councillor until the 2022 local elections.
Ms Begum is the subject of a reselection trigger vote within her constituency where members can decide whether they wish her to continue to be the Labour candidate at the next general election.
In June, a domestic violence advocate warned Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer that “this current trigger process is a further extension of the abuse that she has already endured” and pleaded with the leader to protect Ms Begum.
Instead, he allowed the trigger process to continue and has not addressed any of the issues she has faced.
She said that the relentless campaign against her left her contemplating suicide.
Ms Begum said: “There were real moments definitely of, like, you contact the Samaritans because you might not want to live anymore.”
Ms Begum said that her ordeal has sapped her faith in the Labour Party, but she would not be giving up on her constituents.
The Labour Party was invited to comment.
