Local councillor Tahir Ali selected for Birmingham Hall Green

Local councillor Tahir Ali has been chosen to replace Roger Godsiff in Birmingham Hall Green, LabourList can reveal.

Ali currently represents the Nechells ward on Birmingham City Council, having first joined in 1999.

He was chosen today by a selection panel – made up of national, regional and local representation – over local Majid Mahmood, as well as Ibrahim Dogus and Katy Clark.

Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) effectively deselected incumbent Roger Godsiff earlier this week when it declined to endorse him as a parliamentary candidate.

Godsiff had been ‘triggered’ by local members, who did not automatically reselect him, but the full selection process requested was not completed before the general election was called.

Although the NEC readopted all other triggered MPs as candidates, chief whip Nick Brown made the case for not approving Godsiff, who earlier this year defended protests against LGBT-inclusive education.

In a tweeted statement, Roger Godsiff announced his intention to stand as an Independent in the seat. He was elected in 2017 with a majority of nearly 34,000 votes, making Birmingham Hall Green is a very safe Labour seat.