August M
Local elections in Birmingham are shaping up to be a flashpoint for national political tensions.
With anger over Gaza reshaping voting patterns, independent candidates are challenging Labour in key wards.
One campaign, however, is drawing attention not only for its message but for the background of the man leading it.
Political fault lines
According to reporting by the Express, Labour is bracing for renewed losses among Muslim voters in Birmingham’s May 7 council elections. Pro-Gaza independents are expected to benefit from frustration over the party’s stance on Israel.
Among those candidates is Shahid Butt, who is standing for the Independent Candidates Alliance. The group plans to contest around 20 council seats across the city.
The alliance was set up by activists Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar, both of whom ran in Birmingham during the 2024 general election on a pro-Gaza platform.
Targeting key wards
Mr Butt is standing in Sparkhill, a ward where nearly two-thirds of residents have Pakistani heritage. In a video announcing his candidacy, he said: “With the help of Allah, with your support and with these guys behind me, I know we are going to take this.”
The Express reported that Mr Butt was invited to comment through a community group email address but did not respond.
His campaign is taking place against a backdrop of heightened political mobilisation around Gaza-related protests and local grievances.
Views on protests
Mr Butt supported calls for demonstrations against Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv when it played Aston Villa last year. According to the Jewish Chronicle, he said: “I want the Palestinians to see the clips on their TikToks in Palestine, in Gaza, of Birmingham Muslims … standing there in solidarity.”
He also urged those attending the protests to remain unarmed, saying there should be “no knives, no guns, no machetes, nothing”.
In addition, he has voiced support for efforts to stop small boats crossing the Channel. He told the Birmingham Mail: “I also don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry coming over and living in our communities when we don’t know who they are. That is not being racist, that is being a good British citizen.”
Conviction history
Mr Butt’s candidacy has drawn scrutiny because of his past. In 1999, he received a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring to carry out bomb attacks on the British consulate, an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel in Yemen.
Prosecutors in Yemen said the group had been sent to carry out violence by Abu Hamza, the radical preacher who was the father of one of the convicted men.
Mr Butt was released from prison in 2003.
Disputed account
In an interview with the Birmingham Mail, Mr Butt acknowledged having “made mistakes” in his youth but denied responsibility for the terror offences.
He claimed his confession had been extracted through torture and said evidence against him had been planted. He has since described himself as a campaigner against extremism.
Reflecting on his earlier life, he told the Birmingham Mail: “I am not an educated person, as a kid all I heard was ‘f— off back to where you came from’ and ‘P—’ and I got angry and bitter and the only way I could deal with it was by lashing out.”
He added: “I was not able to communicate or deal with this differently. I’m a big guy, I’ve done martial arts, street fighting, and so I found that very easy. I did not develop intellectually until later. I was idealistic.”
Sources: Express, Birmingham Mail, Jewish Chronicle
