Independent candidates across Birmingham have formed an electoral pact in a coordinated effort to challenge Labour’s control of the city council ahead of local elections on 7 May.
The alliance brings together a mix of candidates, including former Labour supporters, community figures and activists, alongside high-profile names such as lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, property developer Shakeel Afsar and Workers’ Party leader George Galloway.
The group has agreed to field candidates strategically across designated wards to avoid splitting the vote, with many standing under banners including Birmingham Community Independents, the Workers Party, Independent Alliance, or joint labels combining them.
Their campaign is focused on a number of Labour-held areas, including constituencies within Hodge Hill, Yardley, Ladywood and Hall Green and Moseley, as well as wards in Erdington, Edgbaston and Perry Barr.
Candidates say their aim is to form a significant bloc of councillors capable of influencing or reshaping control of Birmingham City Council.
Paul Cannon, national organiser for the Workers Party, confirmed the pact and said alliances formed during the general election had continued into local campaigning.
He said the objective was to replace Labour representation with candidates aligned with what he described as working-class and socialist priorities.
Several candidates have already drawn attention, including Shahid Butt, standing in Sparkhill, whose previous conviction in Yemen has prompted political scrutiny and a public petition.
Other candidates include Harris Khaliq, a former Labour member standing on a platform focused on local services, and Nosheen Khalid and Shaukat Mahmood in Alum Rock, who have criticised Labour’s handling of local issues including waste services and infrastructure.
Belal Arabi, also standing in Alum Rock, has previously spoken about using social media networks to support political campaigns.
Raja Amin, an MBE recipient and community representative, is standing in Balsall Heath East.
The full list of candidates announced so far spans multiple wards across the city:
Acocks Green: Sajid Bhatti, Tahir Afzal
Alum Rock: Nosheen Khalid, Shaukat Mahmood
Balsall Heath East: Raja Amin
Birchfield: Mohammed Yaseen
Bordesley and Highgate: Mohammed Idrees
Bordesley Green: Wajad Burkey
Bromford and Hodge Hill: Tasawar Shah, Sardar Khan
Garretts Green: Peter Higgins
Glebe Farm and Tile Cross: Shehryar Kayani, Amir Shafique
Gravelly Hill: Asif Mehmood
Handsworth: Chaman Lal
Heartlands: Danny Mazhar
Holyhead: Rinkal Shergill
Ladywood: Deborah Magher, Gary Cressman
Lozells: Asim Khan
Nechells: Mansuur Ahmed
Newtown: Amjad Hussain
North Edgbaston: Bibiche Kala, Amer Khan
Perry Common: Ahmed Ghulam
Pype Hayes: Raihaan Abbas
Shard End: Liam Smyth
Sheldon: Haroon Khattak, Sikander Aslam
Small Heath: Rehab Talukdar, Ahmed Al-Athwari
Soho and Jewellery Quarter: Omar Yousaf, Katherine Cremer
South Yardley: Aheesha Zahir
Sparkhill: Belal Arabi, Shahid Butt
Tyseley and Hay Mills: Mohammed Nadeem
Ward End: Julian Nistor
Yardley East: Naushaba Yakoob
Yardley West and Stechford: Naila Iqbal
Birmingham City Council currently consists of 101 seats, with Labour holding 52, Conservatives 22, Liberal Democrats 13, Greens two, and a number of independent and vacant positions.
The outcome of the election could significantly alter the balance of power in the council.