No action for councillor over cake election claim

Muhammed Ali Islam has been cleared of wrongdoing by Bradford Council

A councillor who suggested voters who backed him in May's local elections received free cake will face no further action.

Bradford Council independent Muhammed Ali Islam, who ran in the general election as an independent candidate for Bradford West, had already been cleared of any wrongdoing by West Yorkshire Police over a potential breach of the Elections Act.

Bradford Council said they would also be taking no action against Mr Islam after reviewing a complaint about him against their Members' Code of Conduct.

Mr Islam told the BBC his words had been "misconstrued" following "a bit of a light-hearted joke".

In a now deleted TikTok video shared by ITV News, the councillor for Manningham said: "All of you would have known that if you voted for me in the local elections then you would have got your free Matilda cake.

"Now if you vote for me in the general election, you might again get your free Matilda cake.

"Quote me when you get your cake and hopefully you might get a discount."

Under the Elections Act it is illegal to "directly or indirectly give or provide any food, drink, entertainment or provision to corruptly influence any voter to vote or refrain from voting" - in an offence known as treating.

Following the incident, West Yorkshire Police said Mr Islam had "been spoken to and given guidance".

Mr Islam, who was elected to Bradford Council in May, said he was trying to bring "a bit of humour and a bit of fun" to politics.

"It was a bit of a light-hearted joke," he added.

'Toxic'

Asked how his words could have been misunderstood, he replied: "I said 'you might get one', I think that's what saved myself. You say things off the cuff, you are campaigning day and night."

Mr Islam finished second behind Labour's Naz Shah in the eventual vote, losing by just 707 votes.

He said the campaign had been "one of the most toxic", adding: "I pray that politics becomes a safer place for everyone that becomes involved."

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "The complaint has been considered under the Members’ Code of Conduct procedure and it has been found that it does not fall within the procedure.

"No further action will be taken."

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