Birmingham resident Johur Uddin has always voted Labour. But with Britain’s opposition party on the verge of a record victory next week, the 56-year-old consultant says he will break the habit of a lifetime on July 4 and mark his ballot paper with an X next to an independent candidate.
A perception that Labor has drifted from its roots, coupled with party leader Keir Starmer’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza, has driven Uddin away. The sentiment was echoed by four of the five men with him at the office of the Legacy West Midlands charity in the Birmingham Ladywood constituency, who have their eyes on independent candidates — one of whom is also considering the Green Party.
“Labour’s values have completely changed,” Uddin said. “It used to be more pro-working people and very social justice” — a focus that has been lost, he said.
