New pro-Gaza MP was the local leader of an 'Islamist extremist' group that was criticised for 'partnering with extremism' as it emerges another told a rally there was 'no difference' between Israeli government and Isis

A new pro-Gaza MP was the local leader of an extremist group described in Parliament as 'Islamist' and criticised in a government report for 'partnering with extremism', the MoS can reveal.

Shockat Adam, 51, caused one of the Election's biggest shocks by defeating Labour's Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South. 

He is one of five new independent MPs who campaigned on a pro-Gaza ticket.

But an MoS investigation has found Mr Adam was the Leicester chairman for Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), which Michael Gove labelled as 'Islamist' this year. 

Mr Adam is also the brother of Ismail Patel, 62, founder of the extremist Friends Of Al-Aqsa, one of the groups to have organised pro-Gaza protests since October 7.

Mr Adam, who left MEND in March, said: 'MEND is an organisation which encourages Muslims to participate in Britain's liberal democracy, the exact opposite of Gove's accusations.'

It comes as another newly-elected MP who won his seat on a pro-Palestinian ticket once told a Gaza rally that there was 'no difference' between the Israeli government and Isis. 

Adnan Hussain won the seat of Blackburn where there is a large number of Muslim voters, beating the Labour candidate Kate Hollern. 

He was elected as an independent having campaigned against Labour's stance on the Israel-Gaza war. 

According to the Telegraph, Mr Hussain told a rally in Hyde Park, London in 2014: 'Isis are terrorists and so are the Israeli government – there is no difference between them.

'Any man, woman that takes away innocent lives is a terrorist. There is no doubt about it.' 

The comments came after Israel launched an offensive in Gaza in July 2014 in response to the murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by terrorists with links to Hamas. 

It was at a similar time to when Isis was dominant in north-western Iraq and eastern Syria and tried to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. 

Mr Hussain defended his remarks made in 2014, saying that 'acts of violence inflicted upon a civilian population for political motivations should be classed as terrorism'. 

He added that to understand the reference to Isis, his comments should be 'contextualised within the political makeup of the time'.