The optometrist who became an MP

Shockat Adam’s world has transformed overnight.

One day in July he was a practice owner and father whose jokes made his children groan. The next Adam was elected as an MP to represent Leicester South – following in the footsteps of David Heath CBE to become the second ever optometrist to enter parliament.

Speaking with OT at Westminster in July, the optometrist and AOP member described the moment he learned he had unseated Labour incumbent Jonathan Ashworth by fewer than 1000 votes.

“When the results were called, it was a moment that came in slow motion. I don’t think it is something I’ll ever forget,” he said.

From prescriptions to parliament

Adam was born in Malawi with his family emigrating to Leicester when he was a toddler. He has abstract memories of being picked up by a cousin when he arrived at the airport.

In his maiden address to parliament, Adam paid tribute to the city that shaped him – describing memories of school milk alongside experiences of racism.

As a child, Adam was with his mother in a park when they were surrounded by a group shouting insults and throwing objects at the pair.

Asked about this incident by OT, Adam shared his belief that “overwhelmingly, people are good.”

“Usually, when people are xenophobic or racist, it is because they haven’t met people of different cultures,” he said.

“The consideration and kindness I received from my teachers superseded anything else I experienced on the streets,” Adam shared.

Shockat Adam

Shockat Adam

Adam now owns independent optometry practices in Leicester and Peterborough, which are continuing to run while he serves the people of Leicester South.

“I’ve got a fantastic team. Everyone is engaged in the business, so they have taken on the responsibility and autonomy really well,” he shared.

Adam reflected that his experience as an optometrist with relatively long testing times helped him to get to know the people in his community.

“You’re talking to people every day. There are not too many professions you can say that about – GPs don’t have the time and with dentists, the patients have always got their mouths wide open,” he said.

While his lack of experience as a politician – he has never belonged to a political party – may be seen as a disadvantage by some, Adam points to the benefits of taking a less traditional route to Westminster.

“I’m a completely fresh set of eyes on the political system. There are so many perspectives that we bring, as optical practitioners, as small business owners, that people who live in this environment don't always have,” he said.

Seemingly ignoring his children’s counsel to avoid Dad jokes in the corridors of power, Adam’s maiden address featured an array of optical puns.

He promised to keep his speech brief before unrolling a long scroll of paper that fell to the floor.

While Adam brings a sense of levity to parliament, he is serious about serving the constituency that he represents.

In the final week of his election campaign, he was sleeping for one or two hours each night. Now he is attempting to “hit the ground running” while learning the ropes at Westminster – and fielding the occasional request for eyewear advice from fellow MPs.

“Every single second is a learning curve,” he said.

Championing eye care

As an optometrist, Adam has seen first-hand how the profession can help to ease the burden on a stretched hospital eye service.

He has observed delays from a patient’s referral to their first appointment in hospital, as well as prolonged waits for follow up appointments.

Only around 30% of patients seen through the minor eye conditions service at his Peterborough practice are referred on to secondary care.

“We know we can reduce the waiting times,” he emphasised.

He supports the principle of a national strategy for eye care ­­– which the AOP has advocated for through its Sight Won’t Wait campaign to tackle lengthy waiting lists.

Adam shared that he would champion optometry within parliament.

“As a profession, I don’t think we get the support or the recognition we deserve,” he said.

“We need to bring the profession to the conversation table,” Adam emphasised.

He believes that funding of optometry “has always been an issue.”

“That needs to improve drastically. We are qualified to do a lot more than we actually do, and our services need to be utilised as part of a joined up healthcare system to reduce the pressure on secondary care,” Adam shared.

Entering politics

Adam traces his interest in politics back to the polarisation that occurred within the UK in the lead up to the Brexit vote.

“I found that extremely frightening and not the country that I grew up in,” he said.

In the following years, he witnessed the effect of cost of living pressures and a lack of adequate housing within his community.

“I saw a real chasm developing and that was always reflected in the businesses that I run,” Adam shared.

He describes the response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from parties across the political spectrum as “the final straw.”

Adam shared that for many there appeared to be a double-standard in the level of public sympathy for people living in Gaza compared to other conflict zones.

“It was not just the lack of empathy or sympathy from the Government, but there didn’t seem to be a strong voice coming from the traditional opposition party,” Adam emphasised.

It is important to remember that it is the simplest things that people want and that make the biggest difference to their lives

Adam shared that while he may not have all the solutions as a politician, he wants to speak for constituents who feel like they have been ignored.

“Nobody expects me to solve the Middle East crisis. Nobody expects me to bring about an immediate ceasefire. All they want is somebody to speak on their behalf,” he said.

Adam wants to see all hostages released with a permanent solution put in place by “leaders who really want peace.”

“All children are the same, all parents cry the same,” he said.

“As a humanitarian issue, Gaza is extremely important,” Adam shared.

Adam is one of four independent MPs to be elected in seats previously held by Labour – with the party’s stance on Palestine and Israel proving a divisive issue.

During a heated election campaign, The Times reported that Ashworth was filmed and followed as he attempted to speak with residents on their doorsteps – at one point seeking shelter in a vicarage.

In his first weeks in Parliament, Adam missed a session announcing the resumption of government of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees as he dealt with a potential death threat.

Reflecting on the balance between being able to challenge politicians and ensuring their safety, Adam told OT: “I would never condone any form of harassment – physical or verbal.”

He added that there have been “worrying accounts,” especially from female MPs, of unacceptable behaviour.

“I wouldn’t myself be engaged in anything of that nature, and I wouldn’t be happy for any of my team to be directly involved in any form of harassment,” he said.

While Adam condemns intrusive behaviour, such as standing outside a politician’s house or invading their personal space, he believes that it is important that politicians remain accountable to the people who elected them.

“Robust questioning of a politician is an age-old tradition. I will be answerable to my constituents,” Adam shared.

Bridging the gap

Data from the 2021 census revealed that Leicester had become the UK’s first ‘plural city’ – where no ethnic group forms a majority of the population.

Close to six in 10 people in Leicester (59%) are from ethnic minority groups, while four in 10 residents were born outside the UK.

OT meets with Adam a week before a series of far-right rallies and counterprotests across England and Northern Ireland – events that saw attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers, cars set on fire and police officers left with broken bones.

At a time of division, individuals aimed to bridge the gap through acts of kindness. An imam in Liverpool crossed the police line to hand out burgers and talk with those who had come to attack his mosque.

An ice cream seller gave out free iced treats to police officers working to quell the unrest in Sunderland.

In his maiden address, Adam quoted the Muslim Sufi poet Rumi: “We must raise our words, not our voices. It is rain that brings forth flowers, not thunder.”

Asked how this philosophy would inform his approach to politics, Adam reflected: “There has been in recent times a chasm growing in my city. We need to ensure that we’re open to discussing uncomfortable truths.”

“Let’s talk about these things. Nothing is off the table,” he emphasised.

He shared that not engaging with people who hold different views exacerbates the polarisation seen in society.

“One example of that is that there’s a sense that white working-class people are feeling left behind, and then that leaves a really dangerous narrative for people to be able to exploit and then make them feel even more disenfranchised,” he said.

While Adam has received most coverage for his stance on Gaza, he is keen not to be viewed as a single-issue MP.

He is determined to address the practical issues – such as a lack of adequate housing and sparse opportunities for young people – that are fuelling social problems within his city.

Adam recounted a moment on the campaign trail that had remained with him. In an area of the city that resembled a “concrete jungle,” Adam knocked on the door of a potential voter who said she would vote for Adam if he did two things.

“She said, “If you could just plant me a tree so I can see it, that would make me smile, and if you could get me a fountain so I can see some water trickling, I’ll vote for you forever,” Adam shared during his maiden address.

Adam reflected: “It is important to remember that it is the simplest things that people want and that make the biggest difference to their lives.”