How Gaza war propelled a little-known politician to UK political forefront

In the recent UK mayoral election, a criminal defence lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who campaigned on a pro-Palestine ticket, garnered tens of thousands of votes in the county of West Midlands, sending shockwaves in the British political landscape.

While Labour's Richard Parker eventually won the county election, Yakoob, who harnessed the short-video format of TikTok to propel his campaign, has demonstrated an ability to compete with political heavyweights.

Yakoob, supported by British MP George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain, who secured the Rochdale by-election in March, took 70,000 votes, more than what the candidates of the Liberal Democrats, The Green Party and Reform UK could win.

The Muslim candidate's strong performance has put spotlight on the growing awareness among the UK citizens about Israel’s deadly war on Gaza where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

"Local elections are not normally affected by world events, but this year, we have seen a sharp increase in independent candidates standing on a platform in support of the people of Gaza. We did not see the same action being taken in last year's local elections with the war in Ukraine," Claire Pearsall, a former Government Advisor, tells TRT World.

While the Western politicians and mainstream media have expressed sympathy for Ukraine and condemned Russia’s war, they have largely stood on the sidelines on the issue of Israel’s war on Palestinians.

"It (Gaza) is a far more emotional war, which has far-reaching effects worldwide. The UK has seen a larger number of independent candidates raising this issue, and Akhmed Yakoob received the third highest number of votes in the West Midlands Mayoral election where he strongly asserted his pro-Palestinian beliefs," says Pearsall.

The former Government Advisor says areas with a higher proportion of Muslim residents saw support for Labour fall "dramatically", showing how "many see the Labour Party as not making a strong argument against Israeli actions in Gaza and not working in Muslim communities as they once did."

Yakoob’s strong showing in the mayoral election has given the confidence to announce his intention to run in the upcoming general election.

Political observers say independent candidates are successfully tapping into widespread discontent with conventional politics.

"People in major British cities are fed up of the broken promises of mainstream political parties taking their vote for granted, and duplicitously behaving when it comes to Israel's genocide in Gaza," Dr Rizwaan Sabir, Associate Professor at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK tells TRT World.

As a criminal defence lawyer, Yakoob says his "speciality lies in constructing robust defences and presenting them in the most compelling manner before the courts' while he also built up a following on social media.

Such a strategy has allowed audiences to get closer to him after sharing a range of highly crafted videos on Youtube.

In '10 Things Akhmed Yakoob Can't Live Without | 10 Essentials' viewers glean more about his personal life. It includes his belief in God, his inability to live without his prayer mat, and his close human connection to those he shares life with.

In 'Real Lawyer explains how he made Millions!' Yakoob recounts his journey to become a lawyer—from the moment a "close mate" was arrested to the setbacks he faced in his education.

However, he also demonstrates his street smarts, insisting, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," before chronicling the support needed to eventually become a qualified lawyer.

Today Yakoob has professed his disenchantment with traditional political parties, underscoring how he represents an alternative position on issues relating to Gaza, Kashmir, and “Khalistan” which are also tied to local communities in the UK.

As Yakoob has emerged, Pearsall points to a trend where she believes the governing Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party "have underestimated the emotion attached to the conflict and are ignoring the real concerns of communities who will be affected by the war."

Israel's onslaught in Gaza has killed almost 34,800 Palestinians and injured over 78,000 after Hamas' attack on October 7.

"The UK has to realise the significant difference the Gaza conflict has made within the UK and start to work with international communities much better to ensure the safety of both Palestinian and Israeli citizens who wish to live peacefully," says Pearsall.

Traditional candidates, Yakoob also says, are closely monitored, something that does not affect him as an independent as he says he understands how locals feel "completely forgotten" by the current mayor.

Despite the local mayor’s talk of "bringing development and investments", he claims the mayor solely represents corporate interests and wealthier tax-payers.

On the issue of Gaza, Yakoob also questions why people in the West Midlands are experiencing hunger, homelessness and unemployment while the UK sends money to Israel and Ukraine to fund wars, insisting the money should instead be spent on local communities.

"What independent candidates like Akhmed Yakoob therefore do is bring something organic, trustworthy, and unique to the table. They speak in a language that allows voters to relate to their political representatives in a way that mainstream politicians simply do not and cannot do. It's why Ahmed Yakoob secured such a sizable number of votes despite standing as an independent candidate," says Sabir of Liverpool John Moores University.

With a General election in 2024, Pearsall suggests more independent candidates will likely stand to represent different communities including Muslims in the UK Parliament.

Sabir believes Yakoob's true test will be how he responds to issues on a local level.

"If he can create a campaign that engages with local policy matters that impact ordinary working people on a daily basis with the same fervour and passion he has shown when dealing with big geopolitical questions, he will pose a very serious threat to the Labour Party at the next general election in 2025," he says.

Pearsall forecasts there could also be wider repercussions for Labour.

"Mr Yakoob has stated he will stand in Birmingham Ladywood, an area which gave a significant number of votes to him in the recent Mayoral election. The Muslim population in Birmingham Ladywood is estimated to be 30 percent, which is significant and could lead to the loss of the current Labour MP.”