Labour take seat in council by-election

Winner hits out at campaigning after Queen’s death

ALABOUR candidate has won the council seat in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East with a landslide result.

Saima Ahmed received 2,410 ballots from residents, 22% of whom turned out to vote.

Cllr Ahmed works in the NHS and was active in the local area when the late Cllr Mohammed Azim held the seat until his sudden death in August, which triggered the byelection.

Cllr Ahmed said: “I’m not a career politician and this is my first time standing for election, however, for many years I have campaigned alongside Councillor Shabrana Hussain, and the late Councillor Mohammed Azim.

“As a local community activist, I have been involved in local litter picks and street patrols.

“Now, I want to represent the people of Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East, fighting for a cleaner, safer and better future for our area. As a working-class mother in the NHS, I have seen on a daily basis the hardship that local people face with the succession of heartless Tory Governments that we have had.

“My roots are in Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East, my children attend a local school and I lived in the ward for 17 years, and still live and work locally to this day.

“The Conservatives have let Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East down, whilst they have been busy arguing with themselves in a leadership election, prices and energy bills have been rising.

“Shockingly, the Lib Dems, Conservatives and George Galloway’s party continued campaigning during the National Period of Mourning following the death of Her Majesty the Queen. I know that local residents were not impressed by this, and I think it shows a huge lack of respect to our late Monarch, and our country.”

Four other candidates competed with Cllr Ahmed to become the area’s next representative:

■ Shaukat Ali Khan (Liberal Democrats) – 517 votes.

■ Zhor Malik (Local Conservatives) – 305 votes.

■ Phil Bevin (Workers Party) – 158 votes.

■ Michael John Harrison (Green Party) – 72 votes.

Of these, two used to be Labour affiliated.

Zhor Malik was Labour councillor for Balsall Heath West for three years before crossing the floor in February citing “neglect” by the Labour leadership. Labour did not reselect him for the local elections which took place in May this year.

Phil Bevin used to be an aide for Jeremy Corbyn but is now an active Worker’s Party of Britain member.

The party is led by George Galloway who was expelled from Labour in 2003 for “bringing the Labour party into disrepute” with comments he made in relation to the Iraq war.

At the time, Galloway said the decision was the result of “a politically motivated kangaroo court”.