Labour party warns Salma Yaqoob over ‘misleading’ leaflet

BRADFORD/LONDON: Labour Party has warned independent candidate Salma Yaqoob over making false and misleading claims on her campaign literature exploiting the name of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The leaflets were distributed across Bradford West by Salma Yaqoob against Labour candidate Naz Shah, claiming that she has the official backing from Labour party and its leader. 

Salma Yaqoob, who until recently was part of George Galloway’s Respect Party, has come from Birmingham to stand against Naz Shah in Bradford.

Leaflets distributed by Salma Yaqoob show that Salma Yaqoob has included a photograph of herself with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on her leaflets, under the caption “a vote for Salma is a vote for Corbyn”.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: “There is only one Labour Party candidate in Bradford West and that is Naz Shah. Naz has been an outstanding member of parliament for Bradford West since trouncing George Galloway two years ago and if re-elected will continue to be a strong voice for local people.

“She, and only she, has the full support and endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn as the best choice for Bradford West. People in Bradford West have a choice on 8th June – re-elect their strong Labour MP who will stand for the many, not the few, or elect a Tory who would sit on his hands while his Party in government slash funding to local schools and further run down our crisis-hit health service.”

A source at Salma Yaqoob’s campaign office said that Salma has known Jeremy Corbyn for over a decade. “They worked together in Stop the War Coalition and worked for the same cause. The leaflet is about sharing the same values.”

In December 2015, the former Respect councillor had has had an application to join Labour rejected by local party members in Birmingham. Her application was rejected on the grounds that she stood for the Respect Party against Labour MP Roger Godsiff in the 2005 and 2010 general elections as well as battling Labour candidates in local elections.

In a video message, Jeremy Corbyn endorsed Naz Shah telling her: “Thank you very much for what you have done as an MP, what you are doing as an MP and what you will do as an MP with a Labour government.”