MP Shabana Mahmood had armed police guard as election intimidation became 'assault on democracy'

Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood needed armed police as the campaign to unseat her by Independent Akhmed Yakoob became vicious and amounted to 'an assault on democracy'. The diminutive MP came out fighting as the result was announced, against a backdrop of boos and taunts.

She defeated high profile and controversial Yakoob by over 3,000 votes after a six week campaign that she said had 'sullied politics''.

She said she had faced threats against her, her family, and her supporters and was labelled an infidel and baby killer as anger over Labour's position on Gaza played out through the campaign. Speaking from the stage of the counting hall at Birmingham ICC she said the taunts, abusive slogans, harassment of activists had fuelled her through a campaign that she said was intended to stir up Muslim voters, she said.

Mahmood received 15,558 votes in the end, while Yakoob polled 12,137 votes. Said Mahmood: "This was a campaign sullied by harassment and intimidation, of me, my family and all the people who went out and knocked on doors and handed out leaflets and tried to get their voices heard. Bravely, they continued...because this wasn't just an assault on us, this was an assault on democracy itself."

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She blasted those who she claimed had resorted to intimidation, saying: "We must never accept physical threats and intimidation. Threats we were lucky never became reality, and let me make this clear, because this matters deeply to me and my family, it is never acceptable to deny anyone their faith; it is never

acceptable to brand someone an infidel. I know what a Muslim looks like. A Muslim looks like me. Muslim values are mine and they are British values too. Decency, respect, kindness.

"Amid all this, let us not forget, today is a day of triumph. They thought they could intimidate us, but they couldn't. They thought they could silence us, but they couldn't. They thought they could beat us, but they didn't."

But she also struck a concilatory tone to voters, telling them: "I know we have bridges to re-build. I know the votes we have lost here contain a powerful message. I know we have lost trust that we must earn back from my own community. To do that we must deliver the change we promised."

She said: "In the last four and half years we have changed the Labour party. Those of us who believed it must reconnect with working people and put country first, and party second, we will now have the chance to serve the country again. The road will be hard and long...but we will do the hard work of governing, and I will fight day and night with the voice of Brummies at the heart of a Labour government."