Qassim Afzal is selected for Manchester Gorton Constituency

7.51.02pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 18th Mar 2005

Qassim Afzal, Liberal Democrat PPC for Manchester Gorton Constituency

High profile activist Qassim Afzal has been selected as the Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Manchester Gorton Constituency.

Business Consultant and Broadcast Journalist turned politician, Qassim Afzal took 60% of the constituency vote to become the first British Asian Lib Dem PPC for the Gorton Constituency. The colourful two times councillor who took the party by storm in 1998, has quickly moved up the political arena from local to global politics.

Qassim Afzal commented, "I was delighted that the members have given me the thumbs up. Gorton has been in social, political and economic decline for decades under Labour. Electoral sympathy across the constituency has dramatically changed over the last few years.

Afzal a member of the Federal Executive said, under the leadership of Cllr Simon Ashley the Lib Dems have taken all three seats in five of the six wards; Gorton North and Gorton South, Levenshulme, Rusholme, and Longsight and a 16th seat in Fallowfield. 16 of the 18 councillors in the constituency are now Liberal Democrats, with only two Labour councillors remaining.

This constituency has a diverse population including English, Irish, Scottish, Afro-Caribbean as well as a large British Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim Community that is well established.

Qassim added that he has all the credentials, being both locally born and educated, to get rid of the sitting MP, "that's if he doesn't do a runner to the lords". The Asian electorate kicked out all the Labour Asian councillors in the constituency following the Iraq invasion and replaced them with Lib Dem councillors. Cllrs Paul Shannon, Cllr Lynn Williams and Cllr Abu Choudry, a British Bangladeshi, now represent the Rusholme ward and Cllr Liaqat Ali, Cllr Latif Chohan and Cllr Mohammed Sajjad now represent the Longsight Ward.

Qassim Afzal further added that he is committed to build unity across all communities. In addition to working towards bringing in strategic funding, fighting against tuition fees, supporting fairer income related taxation and axing the council tax.

Mr. Afzal added he will campaign to fight against the increase of crime, drugs, and poverty in the area. We need to secure the future for our young people and provided better care for our seniors.

Afzal reflected a ground swell of opinion that Labour had been dishonest to the British people regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, resulting in the unnecessary loss of many British personnel, the destruction of homes, and the killing of thousands of innocent Iraqi women and Children.

Qassim Afzal ended by saying, "my aim is to represent all our communities in parliament."

ENDS....