Mayoral candidate to stand in general election

Akhmed Yakoob won almost 70,000 votes after campaigning on a pro-Palestine ticket

An independent West Midlands mayoral candidate who sent shockwaves through the region after winning almost 70,000 votes has announced his plan to stand in the next general election.

Akhmed Yakoob, who campaigned on a pro-Palestine ticket, told the BBC he would be standing in Birmingham's Ladywood constituency, which is currently held by Labour MP Shabana Mahmood.

Dubbed the "TikTok lawyer", Mr Yakoob received the third highest number of votes in Thursday's West Midlands mayoral election.

He was backed by MP George Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who won the Rochdale by-election in March.

Mr Yakoob received more votes than Reform UK, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats

Mr Yakoob, a director with a Birmingham-based firm of solicitors, campaigned as an advocate for people in Gaza and Kashmir, as well as voicing support for pro-Khalistan figures.

He previously told the BBC voters were "fed up of the mainstream political parties" and positioned himself as an alternative.

"People want a change and they've clearly shown their frustration by way of the ballot paper," he said after the result.

"It just shows to me that I'm not going to stop now, I'm going to carry this momentum on all the way through to the general election."

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Speaking on TikTok, where he has more than 190,000 followers, Mr Yakoob said his success was "the beginning of the end of the Labour Party in the Midlands and Birmingham".

BBC analysis has shown Labour's position on the Israel-Gaza war appears to have dented its support in Muslim areas in England's local elections this week.

In 58 local council wards analysed by the BBC, where more than one in five residents identify as Muslim, Labour's share of the vote was 21% down on 2021 - the last time most seats were contested.

Addressing the impact of the independent vote on Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election, the newly elected mayor Richard Parker said he was committed to rebuilding the Labour Party's trust within Muslim communities.

Mr Parker said: "It's a very important point and it matters to this region.

"I understand their concerns, I understand how important this issue is to them and I'm committed to working with our council leaders, our councillors, our MPs in the region and with the Labour Party nationally to start to rebuild the trust we've lost with the Muslim community."