'I've never been busier': Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan says General Election win 'feels like another world'

Imran Ahmad Khan, who won his seat in December's General Election, says he's "never been busier" since the pandemic forced the UK into lockdown and asked constituents to "bear with me" as he prioritises urgent enquiries.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Wakefield district rose above 100 on Friday.

But Mr Khan urged people to "pull together" during the crisis, saying that Wakefield would "spring back" from it when the virus is beaten.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Friday, the former UN special assistant said: "I’ve had a whole lifetime working in emergency situations, sometimes dangerous situations in other parts of the world, and I’ve never been busier.

"My staff and I are up until 1am most days.

"But if there’s one thing I’d say to people in Wakefield, it’s that if we pull together, we will come through this with an even greater sense of unity and purpose than before.

"Let’s not beat around the bush - it’s uncertain times. It’s very, very difficult. It will probably get darker before dawn rises again. But we will get through it.

"When I think back to the morning of December 13 last year, when the people of Wakefield elected me as their representative, it feels like another world."

Mr Khan said his strong working relationship with the Foreign Office had helped him repatriate several people from Wakefield who were stuck abroad after their flights were cancelled.

He also said he was liaising with government ministers on a daily basis and working closely with Wakefield Council, the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and local businesses.

The son of a nurse and a doctor, who was based at Pinderfields Hospital, Mr Khan said the efforts of those working in the NHS had reduced him to tears of pride.

"I literally owe my life, not just to the NHS, but to the local NHS and Pinderfields Hospital," he said.

"It makes me cry when I see the shoes of my late father, my late grandmother and my mother filled so successfully by the people working there today.

"It's not just the frontline staff that deserve praise. It's the receptionists, the cleaners - all of them are making a difference."

The Conservative MP, 46, said he would readily have his knuckles "bloodied and bruised if that's what it takes" when "knocking on doors" to get results for his constituents during the crisis.

And he issued a promise that all casework would be dealt with, but said those with less pressing enquiries would have to wait for a response.

He explained: "People should be absolutely certain that as soon as we've got through this emergency, non-urgent matters will be diligently dealt with.

"My staff are working very hard and all the casework that's coming in is being logged.

"I'd just ask them to bear with me and understand that with the very limited staff we have, we have to prioritise matters of life and limb at the moment.

"Our focus is, and quite rightly I think, on those who need my help urgently."

Local Democracy Reporting Service