Tez Ilyas Blackburn independent pact plea to 'beat Labour'

He makes the plea a social media post aimed at Workers Party of Britain hopeful Craig Murray and his rival, independent Adnan Hussain who is backed by the 4BwD group of independent councillors who quit Labour over Gaza.

Both candidates have been campaigning in Blackburn with the Israel/Hamas conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip at the core of their pitch to voters.

In it Mr Ilyas says they, and fellow Gaza-focused independent Natasha Shah, must sink their differences and choose just one candidate to unite behind to try and unseat defending Labour MP Kate Hollern, who had a majority of 18,304 in 2019.

Tex Ilyas made the plea to voters on his social media page

Praising Tory-turned-Independent Cllr Altaf 'Tiger' Patel for standing aside and backing Mr Murray, Tez said two of the three remaining 'independent' candidates must do the same to avoid 'splitting the Gaza vote'.

Mr Ilyas's Facebook post says: "This is a message to the remaining Independent candidates in Blackburn and their supporters.

"Please for the sake of unity, for the sake of the cause, which is to kick the Labour Party out of our town, one of you needs to step down.

"I applaud Tiger Patel for doing the right thing. So we need one of you two to do the right thing and step down.

"Otherwise it's going to split the vote and the Labour Party are going to win.

Kate Hollern is aiming to be re-elected for Labour

"It's nigh on impossible to unseat a Member of Parliament from a main party anyway, but with one candidate we can unite behind it would be possible. With two, it's impossible.

"You might as well vote for the Green Party.

"So please, for the sake of unity, compromise and stand down."

Expanding on his message, Tez told the Lancashire Telegraph: "I did count Craig Murray as an independent.

"If your preference is for a non-Labour winner in Blackburn who is not Tory or Reform, it seems like it's going to be between one of the Independent candidates and Craig Murray.

"Two of three should step down and let the other one have the field."

Solicitor Adnan Hussain is the choice of the 4BwD group of councillors

Workers Party candidate, who earlier in the campaign received the backing of the Palestinian foreign ministry, Mr Murray said: "The door remains open for young Adnan to step down and join our team alongside Tiger, who has shown the way.

"Despite being plainly the more qualified candidate I swallowed my pride and agreed to the coin toss proposal, which was haughtily rejected.

"Blackburn will be won this year with 16,000 votes. So I believe I will win in any event. But unity would be better."

Mr Hussain's campaign manager, 4BwD group leader Cllr Mustafa Desai, said: "Craig Murray is not an independent, he is with the Workers Party just like the other candidates that are affiliated to their respective political parties.

"Why is Tez only asking the Independents to stand down?"

LGBTQ+ campaigner Natasha Shah said she is being pressured by other candidates to step down, but will refuse to do so.

She said: "I am going to stay. I feel I stand for the community that Adnan and Craig do not stand for.

"I am being forced to step down by Craig’s and Tiger's supporters and anyone who wants to support me is being bullied."

Labour candidate Mrs Hollern declined to comment on Mr Ilyas's post.

Green candidate Denise Morgan said: "I appreciate and applaud Tez's endorsement of The Green Party and, as he says, it makes sense to vote for me."

Reform UK's Tommy Temperley said: "It is a shame the Independent party of Blackburn were not more organised on selecting their candidate to just one to represent them.

"The three remaining Independents will split the vote to Labours advantage."

The full list of candidates on the ballot paper is: Kate Hollern – Labour Party; Adnan Hussain - Independent; Jamie McGowan - Conservative Party; Denise Morgan - Green Party; Craig Murray – Workers Party of Britain; Altaf 'Tiger' Patel – Independent; Natasha Shah - Independent; Tommy Temperley – Reform UK; Adam Waller-Slack – Liberal Democrats.