An independent candidate who played on local anger over the war in Gaza has defeated Labour in Blackburn.
Lawyer Adnan Hussein won a stunning victory with 10,518 votes, just ahead of Labour’s Kate Hollern‘s 10,386.
Ms Hollern started the election campaign by defending a large majority of 18,616 seats that she had won in the 2019 elections.
When Mr Hussein announced his candidacy, he promised in a video address that he would be “a voice for everyone” in the constituency.
British Labour Party candidate John Murray came third with 7,105 votes.
About a third of Blackburn residents are Muslim. The previously safe Labour seat was one of several the party deemed vulnerable amid anger from many who felt the party had not spoken out strongly enough against the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In his candidacy video, Hussain promised to ensure that voters’ concerns about Gaza would be “heard loud and clear in the places where our so-called representatives have failed.”
Ms Hollern’s defeat was Labour’s second defeat to an independent, after Jonathan Ashworth lost Leicester South to Shockat Adam.
Turnout in Blackburn fell from 61.8% in 2019 to 53.1%.
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