Muslim Independents in Birmingham rule out Election pact to oust Labour

Jane Haynes

27 June 2024 at 0:19 pm·7-min read

A bid to unite three Independents on a single pro-Palestine platform in Hall Green and Moseley to try to oust 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 take the seat.

But rivals Mohammad Hafeez, who describes former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as leader, and Shakeel Afsar, supported by George Galloway-backed Independents Akhmed Yakoob and Jody McIntyre, say they won't back down. Their views are too far apart, they say.

Raja had written an open letter to them, saying he would be willing to stand aside and throw his weight behind one of them if they can agree who is best placed to get votes. But Hafeez, in his first BirminghamLive interview, and Afsar have made it clear they will take the fight to the polls.

Said Hafeez: "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 community members to push for a single consensus candidate majoring on the Gaza conflict, but was unwilling to concede, adding: "Just because we are both Muslims and pro Palestine does not mean we stand for the same things."

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, expelled from the party after standing as an Independent, has endorsed Hafeez. His campaign is being run by former West Midlands Labour regional director Fadel Takrouri, as previously revealed in the Inside Birmingham with Jane Haynes newsletter. We understand other Labour party members in the area have recently left the party to back Hafeez's campaign.

In a video taken on the campaign trail, Corbyn says to 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 it requires our voices." In response Hafeez says: "And an inspirational leader like yourself Jeremy, that has allowed me to put my profession to one side, come out on the streets, stand with you and we can do this together."

He adds: "You stand for the same sort of things as most of Britain does and we need to get our voice heard...you're 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 has previously described him as a possible plant in the constituency to divide the vote, a claim Hafeez fiercely denies. Hafeez, a barrister at St Phillip's Chambers, said he had set aside his job to run a campaign focussed on improving a community that had been neglected for too long, and with a broader remit than rivals who he said were focused only on chasing the Muslim vote.

"I hope my campaign is cross-community, and that I reach out to every part of the society. Other election candidates are focussed on one group - the Pakistani Muslim communities - and that is not what a future MP should do. I am running a campaign to pull everyone together."

He added: "I've focussed my campaign on the area from Camp Hill island to Robin Hood island, on my area, and not got involved in anyone else's...my constituents is what matters to me. One thing is becoming clear, if there is anyone who's really got a possibility of taking on the Labour Party here in this constituency, then it is me. What is needed is a candidate who will promote community cohesion, not divide us."

Championing free school meals would be a way to affect every child in the constituency; the council tax rises affect every home, he said. While the Muslim community accounts for about half of the population here, there are many more communities that must not be overlooked, who have also been neglected, he said.

He said he has reached out and met with women's groups and organisations, fuelled by his work on honor crimes and domestic violence. "The other candidates appear to be focusing very high energy only in the Asian Muslim community...that's not what an MP does. I also believe that the Government is trying to isolate communities from each other, to divide, and we have to bring everyone together."

Hafeez said he was born and grew up in the Hall Green constituency, and was the first in the family to attend university, funding his education working in retail, restaurants and as a taxi driver. He qualified as a barrister and has 25 years experience in the sector, serving as a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS in the West Midlands.

"Throughout my career, I have handled some of the most serious and sensitive cases, including murders, serious sexual offences, complex frauds, and serious public order offences. The lack of investment in crime prevention strategies and rehabilitation programmes exacerbates social tensions and perpetuates cycles of criminal behaviour," he said, pledging to focus on prevention.

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

Critics have expressed anger that he has not been more transparent to voters about his links to Reliance Social Housing CIC, the biggest provider of exempt supported accommodation in the city.

The sector has been the focus of mass complaints and concerns, with areas across Hall Green and Moseley declared as hotspots thanks to an explosion in the number of properties designated as 'exempt' - in part fuelled by the rise of Reliance. Hafeez was chief operating officer for the company through Covid up to late 2022. It now oversees more than 4,000 city 'exempt' properties and over 11,000 tenants. It was the conduit for more than £114 million in 'exempt' housing benefits last year.

Asked about his connection to the firm, Hafeez confirmed his involvement but said his chief operating officer role ended in late 2022: "As a lawyer with my skill set and background, people come to me for advice, guidance or help, and that is what happened here. I help different entities including charities and schools."

In his letter Raja says he has supported the Labour 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 recognise the resolution on Kashmir passed under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership; and then failed to support a ceasefire resolution over Gaza.

"The Muslim community is deeply disappointed with three separate independent candidates making Gaza a central issue in their campaigns. If we unite behind a single candidate, 99% of the Muslim community is willing to support us. I am willing to step down 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 via his campaign team and directly on multiple occasions, has so far failed to agree to discuss his campaign with BirminghamLive.

Here's the full list of candidates standing for Birmingham Hall Green:

Tahir Ali - Labour
Zain Ahmed - Green Party
Shakeel Afsar - Independent
Mohammad Hafeez - Independent
Izzy Knowles - Liberal Democrat
Henry Morris - Conservative
Stephen McBrine - Reform UK
Babar Raja - Independent

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