Muslim Independents in Birmingham rule out Labor Abolition Electoral Pact

An attempt to unite three independents on a single pro-Palestine platform in Hall Green and Moseley to try and unseat Labour’s Tahir Ali has failed. Babar Raja, one of the trio, said the area was crying out for change and needed a unity candidate, not a split vote, to ever hope to hold the seat.

But rivals Mohammad Hafeez, who describes former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn as frontrunner, and Shakeel Afsar, backed by independents backed by George Galloway, Akhmed Yakoob and Jody McIntyre, say they will not back down. Their views are too far apart, they say.

Raja wrote them an open letter, saying he would be willing to stand aside and throw his weight behind one of them if they could agree who was best placed to get votes. But Hafeez, in his first BirminghamLive interview, and Afsar made it clear they would take the fight to a vote.

READ MORE: Labour’s Shabana Mahmood hits back at Gaza and ‘ugly threats’

Hafeez said: “I think it is wrong to put pressure on people to behave in a certain way when we live in a democratic civil society.” He said he was aware of conversations among some members of the community to promote a single consensus candidate specializing in the Gaza conflict, but was unwilling to admit it, adding: “Just because we are both Muslim and pro-Palestine does not mean that we are for the same thing. things.”

Former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, expelled from the party after becoming an independent, backed Hafeez. His campaign is being led by former Labor West Midlands regional director Fadel Takrouri, as previously revealed in the Inside Birmingham with Jane Haynes newsletter. We understand that other Labor Party members in the area have recently left the party to support Hafeez’s campaign.

In a campaign video, Corbyn tells Hafeez: “We are fighting for the same thing, for justice, for peace, for equality and even more for hope for young people growing up in debt, insecurity and expensive housing and that. it requires our voices.” In response, Hafeez says, “And an inspiring leader like you, Jeremy, who has allowed me to put my profession aside, go out on the streets, be with you, and we can do this together.”

He adds: “You are for the same sort of things as most of Britain and we need to make our voices heard… you are our leader and we support you, we are in this together.”

Afsar said he believed Hafeez was more “pro-Labour and pro-LGBT” than he was and had previously described him as a possible plant in the constituency to split the vote, a claim Hafeez vehemently denies. Hafeez, a barrister at St Phillip’s Chambers, said he quit his job to run a campaign focused on improving a community that had been neglected for too long and with a broader remit than rivals who he said focused only on persecution of Muslims. vote.

“I hope that my campaign is cross-community and that I reach every part of society. Other electoral candidates are focused on one group – the Muslim communities of Pakistan – and that is not what a future parliamentarian should do. a campaign to unite us all.”

He added: “I focused my campaign on the area from Camp Hill Island to Robin Hood Island, my area, and I didn’t get involved in anybody else’s … my constituents are what matter to me. One thing is becoming clear, If there is anyone who is really going to fight the Labor Party here in this constituency, then it needs a candidate who will bring the community together, not divide us.

Supporting free school meals would be one way to impact every child in the constituency; council tax rises affect every home, he said. While the Muslim community makes up about half of the population here, there are many more communities that should not be overlooked that have also been neglected, he said.

He said he contacted and met with women’s groups and organizations fueled by his work on honor killings and domestic violence. “The other candidates seem to be focusing a lot of energy on just the Asian Muslim community… that’s not what an MP does. I also think the Government is trying to isolate communities from each other, to develop and we need to bring everyone together.”

Hafeez said he was born and raised in the Hall Green constituency and was the first in his family to attend university, funding his education by working in retail, restaurants and as a taxi driver. He qualified as a solicitor and has 25 years’ experience in the sector as a senior prosecutor for the West Midlands CPS.

“Throughout my career I have dealt with some of the most serious and sensitive cases, including murder, serious sex offences, complex fraud and serious public order offences. Lack of investment in crime prevention strategies and rehabilitation programs exacerbates social tensions and perpetuates cycles. of criminal behavior,” he said, pledging to focus on prevention.

He is committed to lobbying to reduce NHS waiting lists, ensure better pay for the healthcare sector and improve overall healthcare access and quality for residents. He has also pledged to support a review of university tuition fees and support policies that support free school meals and tackle inequalities in our education system. On housing, he pledged to fight for greater access to housing, including private, affordable and social housing, and improved housing standards for tenants.

Critics expressed anger that he was not more transparent with voters about his links to Reliance Social Housing CIC, the city’s largest provider of exempt accommodation.

READ MORE: Shakeel Afsar wants to be the next MP for Hall Green and Moseley and some people aren’t happy

The sector has been at the center of mass complaints and concerns, with areas of Hall Green and Moseley declared hotspots due to an explosion in the number of properties designated as ‘exempt’ – partly fueled by the rise of Reliance. Hafeez served as COO for the company through Covid until the end of 2022. He now oversees more than 4,000 “exempt” city properties and more than 11,000 tenants. It was the conduit for more than £114 million in “excepted” housing benefits last year.

Asked about his connection with the firm, Hafeez confirmed his involvement but said his role as chief operating officer ended at the end of 2022: “As a lawyer with my skills and experience, people come to me for advice, guidance or help and that’s what happened here, I help different entities including charities and schools.”

In his letter, Raja says he has supported the Labor Party for 20 years and campaigned for the liberation of Palestine and Kashmir since 1993. He said his support wavered when Keir Starmer failed to recognize the Kashmir resolution passed under to Jeremy Corbyn; and then failed to support a Gaza ceasefire resolution.

“The Muslim community is deeply disappointed that three separate independent candidates are making Gaza a central issue in their campaigns. If we unite behind one candidate, 99% of the Muslim community is willing to support us. I am willing to resign unconditionally if one of you agrees to be the candidate. We can then hold a joint press conference.”

Labour’s Tahir Ali, despite reaching out through his campaign team and directly on several occasions, has so far not agreed to discuss his campaign with BirminghamLive.

Here is the full list of candidates running for Birmingham Hall Green:

• Tahir Ali – The work
• Zain Ahmed – Green party
• Shakeel Afsar – Independent
• Mohammad Hafeez – Independent
• Izzy Knowles – Liberal Democrat
• Henry Morris – Conservative
• Stephen McBrien – Reform Great Britain
• Babar Raja – Independent