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| Ansar Ali Khan pictured with Labour's failed West Mids mayoral candidate Liam Byrne |
Sinister video doorbells manufactured by Amazon (who else?) are becoming more and more commonplace in the UK and one such device has caught out a Labour leafleter in Birmingham. The sharp-dressed party activist was captured chatting to a comrade on a doorstep in Erdington and could be heard describing the constituency as 'shit'. Click below for the video.
Earlier this year a Labour councillor in Nottinghamshire was filmed pilfering a Tory leaflet by one of these camera doorbells. The man in the Birmingham video is reportedly Ansar Ali Khan, a former councillor and deputy leader of Birmingham City Council. The MP for whom Khan was leafleting expressed dismay in a statement put out on his website. Jack Dromey makes no reference to Khan by name and merely describes the individual concerned as a 'volunteer'.
"Like many Erdington residents, I find these comments outrageous and deeply offensive. I have made my views clear to the volunteer and expressed my digust at what was said. I strongly disassociate myself from these remarks. I am proud to have served as the Member of Parliament for Erdington since 2010 and these comments in no way reflect my views of the fantastic and vibrant community we have here. I have been informed the matter is being referred to the West Midlands Labour Party for them to investigate and take action. I have also demanded the volunteer apologise to the people of Erdington".Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington
At the time of writing there has not been any statement from Khan, let alone an apology. There is also a question mark over Dromey's assertion that he is an 'Erdington resident'. He provided a redacted address in the constituency for his nomination at the 2019 general election, but we have to remember that his wife - Harriet Harman - is a London MP. She provided a London address in the same general election, so where exactly is the marital home?
