Lib Dem Ayoub Khan quits party to run for Perry Barr as independent over ‘shut up’ claim on Gaza

City councilor Ayoub Khan quit the Lib Dems after claiming he was told he could be their MP candidate for Perry Barr only if he agreed to “keep quiet” on Gaza. Khan, a lawyer, says he could not agree to allow party officials to verify any comments or videos he has made about the Palestinian cause as a condition of his candidacy.

This would “undermine my integrity and independence as a representative of the people”, Khan claimed today, announcing he would instead stand as an independent. He believes he has the personal backing to unseat Labor MP Khalid Mahmood, who holds a majority of 15,317. He is keeping his role as an Aston councilor as an independent for now and said he has nothing but respect and gratitude for local party members and the support they have given him.

But speaking exclusively to Birmingham Live, Mr Khan said he had decided he could not remain within the Liberal Democrat party and was also lobbying as hard as he wanted for an immediate ceasefire and an end to arms sales to Israel. It was a critical humanitarian issue for him and the people he represents, he said.

READ MORE: ‘Anti-Semitism’ row as Birmingham Lib Dem councilor and would-be MP under investigation

We understand and supporters in the community are pressuring him to stay independent. Khan came under fire earlier this year over a TikTok video he posted questioning the credibility of Israeli accounts detailing the October 7 Hamas massacre. Jews and political opponents.

His party later released a statement saying he had “apologised and deleted the post” in question and had “agreed to undergo anti-Semitism training”. But Khan claimed he did not endorse the party’s statement and did not intend to undergo further training because he “didn’t need to”. The issue was raised again at a full meeting of Birmingham City Council when two Labor councilors pressed him on his position.

In a subsequent investigation by the Lib Dems, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. But he has now claimed that, despite his innocence, party officials wanted to make it a condition of his candidacy in Perry Barr that he sign a document agreeing to refrain from posting any comments or videos about the situation in Gaza without prior approval and that it is subject. anti-Semitism training—none of which he was willing to agree to.

READ MORE: Labor councilors defy party orders to join rally over Israel-Hamas row as anger rises

He said: “One of the key factors for me is that I was asked to sign a document that restricted my freedom of expression. By signing it, I would have been restricted from discussing the crisis in Gaza and the atrocities committed there. and I could never be comfortable with that, I felt I was at a political crossroads and that continuing as Lib Dem would only lead to a dead end.”

He said he had already received “phenomenal” local support and offers to fund flyers, banners and events to promote his candidacy. Khan is one of several people who have now turned up in Birmingham saying they want to stand as an independent in the July 4 general election, with a strong focus on the situation in Gaza. Akhmed Yakoob, who polled over 69,000 votes regionally as a mayoral candidate in the West Midlands and is now in Birmingham Ladywood, was the catalyst for more.

Among those independents who have since declared they are in the running is Shakeel Afsar, in Birmingham Hall Green, where Tahir Ali is the sitting Labor MP. Jody McIntyre, an anti-war and disability campaigner, takes on Jess Phillips in Birmingham Yardley and former Palestine Solidarity Campaign chief Kamel Hawwash, who is opposing Steve McCabe in Birmingham Selly Oak.

Read the full story on Inside Birmingham as we explore how many ‘safe’ Labor MPs in Birmingham could lose to Gaza

Khan said he would not team up directly with other independents, nor with George Galloway’s Labor Party, but did not rule out a future affiliation. The new Perry Barr constituency now includes the wards of Aston and part of Lozells and Holyhead, all formerly in the Ladywood constituency. It should be a strong Labor position, but Mr Khan said he had received strong personal support for his candidacy.

“The sitting MP is no longer visible, has failed to support local people and the area is rapidly going downhill. It has gone from bad to worse. It is failing on every measure – crime and anti-social behavior are getting worse. , waiting lists for healthcare are growing, there is a shortage of school places, people are living in unsafe housing that is making them sick – yet our MP says and does nothing,” he claimed.

A Lib Dem insider said Khan’s loss was a blow to the party because under his candidacy they felt there was a real chance he could take Perry Barr’s seat. “The broader appeal of our party, combined with Khan’s personal status, would have made a formidable combination. The party and Khan are each weakened by this decision.”

Mr Khan successfully defended a legal challenge by former Birmingham mayor Muhammad Afzal to the vote that won him the seat of Aston in 2022. His Labor opponent Afzal was found to have lied about handing out data to voters’ doorsteps and was convicted by a high court judge for his actions.

Councilor Roger Harmer, leader of the Lib Dems for Birmingham City Council, said: “I am disappointed that Ayoub has decided to stand as an independent candidate in the general election, but I understand that there has been significant pressure on him from the community to this thing. he has been a valuable member of the Lib Dem group on the council and I look forward to working with him in the future as we face the challenges of years of Labor failure in the city.”