A Lamborghini-driving lawyer is running as a TikTok-fuelled independent in a fiercely-fought general electionbattle - following up from pro-Gaza campaigning in the West Midlands mayoral race.
Akhmed Yakoob, a lawyer with a love of fast cars and snazzy jewellery, is taking on Labour's shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood in Birmingham Ladywood.
Mr Mahmood has been prolifically posting videos for his 195,000-strong following on social media site TikTok.
And he has made central to his campaign opposition to Israel's military crackdown following the terrorist attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas on October 7 last year.
Mr Yakoob has 'For Gaza' printed on his election leaflets and accuses Labour of not doing enough to condemn Israel's actions and support calls for a ceasefire.
Defence solicitor Akhmed Yakoob, 36, is standing as an independent candidate for the Birmingham Ladywood constituency at the general election on July 4
Mr Yakoob is a prolific uploader of videos to TikTok, where he has more than 195,000 followers
He has made opposition to the war in Gaza central to his campaigning, both in the recent West Midlands mayoral election and the battle for the general election seat
He came third in last month's West Midlands mayoral election which saw Labour's Richard Parker unseat the Conservative incumbent Andy Street.
The independent candidate, a 36-year-old defence solicitor, was at the centre of a controversy over a 'deep-fake' video which led to a viral hate campaign against an innocent teacher.
The video, taken on a doorbell camera, used subtitles to suggest the woman had used a racial slur while canvassing for Labour.
Evidence that the video had been manipulated was then said to have been uncovered by an external digital forensics company employed by Labour.
And West Midlands Police said officers had examined the original footage and concluded no offensive words were uttered.
Mr Yakoob had shared the footage to his TikTok followers, though later deleted his posts about the allegations amid a backlash.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has opened an investigation into him over the row and he has said he will not comment on it until the inquiry's outcome.
Ms Mahmood has been Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010 and held the seat in 2019 with a majority of 28,582.
Yet Mr Yakoob remains bullish about his prospects of causing an upset when voters go to the polls again on July 4.
Akhmed Yakoob is pictured arriving as votes were being counted ahead of the declaration for West Midlands mayor on May 4 this year - a battle ultimately won by Labour's Richard Parker
Mr Parker (centre) won for Labour, ahead of the Tories' Andy Street with Mr Yakoob third
He told the Sunday Times, while in the front seat of a Mercedes: 'Everybody was saying to me, "Labour machinery this, Labour machinery that".
'So what? I don’t really care about the machinery. Can they buy the love of people? No.
'They can spend millions but they can’t take the love of the people for me out of their hearts. That’s what they can’t take.'
His viral clip carry headline captions such as 'NHS failure', 'Our streets are filthy', 'They have done nothing' and 'I am set to win'.
In one, he tells viewers: 'On the 4th of July you have one of the most important decisions to make in your life and that is the election - who are you going to be voting for?
'Are you going to be voting for the mainstream political parties - are you going to be voting for one of the political elites who think you guys are sheep and will blindly vote for them, election after election, no matter what their policies are?
'Or are you going to be voting for independent candidates that you can relate to, that grew up in the inner-city areas of Birmingham and know how it's like to grow up in deprivation?'
In another, he has a Palestinian flag behind him as he declares: 'Find yourself a representative that can say without fear that from the river to the sea, Palestinians will be free - remember that.'
Father-of-four Mr Yakoob, who has four brothers and four sisters, was born in Birmingham in 1988 - his father having come to Britain from Pakistan in the 1970s.
Akhmed Yakoob is backed by former Labour MP George Galloway, who won February's by-election in Rochdale for the Worker's Party of Britain
Labour's shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has held Birmingham Ladywood since 2010 - retaining her seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of28,582
His fleet of supercars has included a Rolls Royce and a Lamborghini, although he now says he has 'grown out of them' as he intensifies his focus on politics.
And he highlighted Gaza as his main motivation for entering the fray, first taking 20 per cent of vote in the region's mayoral election and now taking on Ms Mahmood.
Labour leader Sir Keir has come under fire for apparent caution in calling for a ceasefire following the attacks on October 7 by Hamas and Israel’s response.
Ten Shadow Cabinet ministers resigned in a bid to increase pressure on the party to go further than calling for a humanitarian pause.
Ms Mahmood abstained in a Commons vote calling for a Gaza ceasefire last November.
She sent a letter to constituents saying: 'I share the upset and concern of you all as we witness the destruction and displacement of human lives on a horrific and unprecendeded scale.
'As a determined and life-time supporter of the rights of Palestinians, and as a British Muslim, I will never shy away from speaking on behalf of people that have undergone decades of brutality and suffering.
'In no uncertain terms: all life is sacred. For me, Palestinian lives matter just as much as any other. The killing of innocent civilians in Gaza must stop immediately.
'I am also unequivocally clear that wars have laws, and democracies have the responsibility to ensure international humanitarian law is followed at all times.
Independent candidate Mr Yakoob is pictured here posing for a photograph as votes were counted ahead of the declaration for West Midlands Mayor on May 4 in Birmingham
He faced criticism when sharing online a video showing woman canvassing and asking someone who lived at this house whether they voted for Labour
The resident was heard responding that they voted for Akhmed Yakoob, to which the canvasser replies: 'No problem, thank you'
The woman (blurred), a teacher in her 20s, later told of having her 'whole world' brought 'crashing down' as a result of the 'deep fake' video which led to unfounded racism allegations
'My position, as well as that of my party, has been that it is absolutely essential there is a clear distinction between a terrorist group and the innocent civilians of Gaza who have suffered for so long and do not deserve collective punishment.
'Here at home, where emotions have been running high, we all have a duty to bring our communities closer together, not further apart.
'For if we do not call out brutality and speak up for the oppressed, if we do not feel pain and distress at the loss of innocent lives - whether they're Palestinian or Israeli, Muslim or Jewish - that is when we lose our humanity.'
Pro-Palestine protests were staged in the city and independent candidates are standing in other Birmingham seats, making Gaza their central focus.
Neurologist Dr Ammar Waraich has declared in Edgbaston, where Labour's Preet Kaur Gill is the sitting MP, while Birmingham University civil engineering professor Kamel Hawwash is taking on shadow veterans minister Steve McCabe in Selly Oak.
