Birmingham Ladywood 2024 General Election Candidates

The UK general election is just weeks away as voters prepare to choose who will lead the country. In Birmingham Ladywood, one of the nation’s most deprived constituencies, voters will have a choice of six candidates to represent them in Parliament.

As one of the poorest constituencies in the UK, the cost of living is likely to be a key issue for voters on July 4. The seat is currently held by Labor – and has been since the 1970s – but the party could face a considerable challenge. from independent pro-Gaza candidate Akhmed Yakoob.

Some expect Labor to “fight” in areas with large Muslim populations such as Birmingham Ladywood over the party’s position on Gaza. There are six candidates vying to become Birmingham Ladywood MP.

This constituency has undergone some boundary changes this time. It covers the areas of Birmingham city centre, Ladywood, Nechells, Soho, Alum Rock, Balsall Heath West, Bordesley & Highgate and the Jewelery Quarter. Aston is now in the Perry Barr constituency and Edgbaston North to Edgbaston constituency.

READ MORE: General election TV debates – when they are, how to watch and who’s taking part on BBC and ITV

Who is the Labor candidate for Birmingham Ladywood?

Labour’s candidate for Birmingham Ladywood is Shabana Mahmood, who has held the seat since 2010. She currently serves in Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice.

When she was first elected in 2010, Mahmood became one of the first female Muslim MPs in Parliament. She previously said: “My faith is the focus of my life and it drives me to public service, it drives me in the way I live my life and see my life.”

However, the MP has come under fire in recent months after abstaining on the Gaza ceasefire vote in November 2023. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Shabana Mahmood said she would be “Birmingham’s voice in the heart the next government’ if elected.

Who is the Conservative candidate for Birmingham Ladywood?

The Conservative candidate for Birmingham Ladywood is Shazna Muzammil. She is the current leader of the Conservative Group on Milton Keynes City Council and has been parachuted in to try and win the seat for the Tories.

She will face an uphill battle in overturning a large Labor majority in 2019, but has the backing of former West Midlands mayor Andy Street. Announcing her intention to stand for Birmingham Ladywood, Shazna said: “The current Labor leadership has failed the people of Birmingham Ladywood.

“The Labor MP has neglected his constituents and the Labor Council’s mismanagement of funds has led to library closures and reduced services, placing a greater burden on residents…. This situation is completely unacceptable.”

Who else is staying in Birmingham Ladywood?

Shabana’s biggest threat in this election may not come from the Conservatives, but from independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob. Dubbed the “TikTok lawyer”, Yakoob won nearly 70,000 votes in the West Midlands mayoral election – the third highest total.

Yakoob is running on a pro-Palestinian ticket and has been endorsed by George Galloway of the UK Labor Party. Yakoob faced harsh criticism last month after naming and shaming a teacher in a “fake” racist video.

Here is a full list of candidates who are in Birmingham Ladywood:

• Shabana Mahmood – The work

• Shazna Muzammil – Conservative

• Akhmed Yakoob – Independent

• Irene Yoong-Henery – Reform Great Britain

• Lee Dargue – Liberal Democrats

• Zoe Challenor – Green party

Who won Birmingham Ladywood 2019?

Labor won Birmingham Ladywood convincingly in 2019 despite a poor showing nationally. Shabaana Mahmood was elected with 33,355 – a 68% majority over the Conservatives in second place. Birmingham Ladywood has been owned by Labor since the 1960s.