Nawas Ali and Lynnette Kelly PPC launch campaign for South Yardley ward

Another impressive young Bengali talent makes a political debut today. I was delighted to join Nawas Ali from Birmingham as he kicked off a campaign to win back South Yardley ward for Labour. Meeting with community leaders from the Bangladeshi community as part of the campaign kick off, he and Lynnette spoke passionately and inspiringly about aspirations of new communities, the desire of families to succeed and for parents to see their children grow up with a better quality of life than they had themselves. Lynnette held the audience captive with a moving account of her experience working with Muslims in Bosnia, how they were attacked for being Muslims, but how the desire to stay as part of a multicultural community rather than seek separatism remained important to them. I've no doubt she'd make a fantastic MP - and Nawas a hugely impressive councillor. Birmingham will benefit from his energy and entrepreneurialism.