What went wrong for Jon Ashworth in Leicester South? Voters give one clear answer

When voters in Leicester South went to the polls yesterday, they unseated their former MP, Labour's Jon Ashworth, with independent Shockat Adam winning with a majority of less than a thousand votes.

It's not the first time Leicester South has swung away from Labour. Sir Peter Soulsby's former seat went to the Liberal Democrats in a 2004 by-election with the Labour support for war in Iraq being blamed for Sir Peter's defeat. And 20 years later, war is again a factor in the surprise shift away from Labour, after Mr Ashworth abstained on a ceasefire vote regarding the ongoing Gaza conflict back in November.

We went out to talk to people in the constituency this morning. Mr Adam - who told his supporters in his victory speech "This is for Gaza" - was also a "nice guy", people said.

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Evington Road shopkeeper Amed Jamal said: "Mr Adam is a nice guy. There's a lot of community respect for him.

"He's been around this area a lot. I don't know much about Jon Ashworth, to be honest, but I think Gaza has been an issue for some people."

Gul Iqbal, 37, said: "I voted Labour like I always have for the past 15 years. But people here have a lot of support for Gaza. There must be peace. No more war."

A 67-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I can see why there was a big issue in relation to Gaza for voters. I think that in the long-term ,we would have been better off with Jon Ashworth because he was a very good local MP."

Commenting on the overall result, with a huge win for Labour, she said: "It doesn't feel like 1997 when Labour were suddenly very popular. It feels more like the Tories lost this one, rather than Labour winning it."

A 59-year-old man added: "I feel sorry for Jon Ashworth but there is a strong will about Palestine and I never felt that he really voiced people's concerns over that.

"It was like he was trying to win Conservative votes, talking about immigration. But he's been here a long time - it's time for a new face and Mr Adam seemed like a very nice guy."

In Clarendon Park, which is also part of Leicester South, along with most of the city centre, one 43-year-old man told LeicestershireLive: "I'm not surprised - he's a victim of Labour's position on Gaza.

"Jon Ashworth didn't pay enough attention to local sentiment. He came to our house during the campaign and I told him that on my doorstep.

"I think he realised he couldn't count on people he used to be able to rely on to vote Labour." He said the party had also made a mistake by de-selecting the London MP Faiza Shaheen, an academic who spoke in support of Gazans.

There was dismay in Mr Ashworth's barbers, Morelli's on Queens Road. Ezio Morelli, 73, who has cut the former MP's hair dozens of times in the past 13 years since he was first elected, said: "He was a good customer of ours so we're quite distraught.

"I cut his hair the day before the election and I wished him luck. Maybe I hexed him! I know that Shockat Adam was very popular with people from his own community so I can understand how it happened"

An 80-year-old woman, who did not want to give her name, said: "I heard Jon Ashworth lost and I was very surprised. We often saw him about and he was often on the telly.

"He once got in touch with the council to help me out. I wasn't going to vote but I went at the last minute after a friend of mine made me feel guilty!"

Selena Hurst, 61, said she thought the Middle East had done it for Labour once again. She said: "Ashworth lost because of Palestine.

"He supported the Tory position, despite the fact they knew the feelings of people around here."