Police probing whether election candidate broke law by offering free cake in return for votes

By Westminster Producer, Maya Bowles

Police are investigating whether an election candidate broke electoral law after he suggested people would get free cake if they voted for him.

Muhammed Ali Islam is an 18-year-old independent local councillor in Bradford and is currently running to be an MP in the Bradford West constituency.

Mr Islam posted a now-deleted video on TikTok in which he promotes a local business selling cakes that are like the chocolate cake in the film Matilda.

He tells his audience in the video: "If you vote for me in the general election, you might... get your Matilda cake. Quote me when you get your cake and hopefully, you might get a discount."

Watch some of the now deleted video here:

West Yorkshire Police told ITV News: "We have been made aware of a video circulating on social media and will be making further enquiries to identify any potential electoral offences."

Under the Representation of the People Act (1983), it is a criminal offence to "during an election... directly or indirectly give or provide any food, drink, entertainment or provision in order to influence any voter to vote."

This offence, known as treating, can be punishable by a fine or even imprisonment.

Mr Islam also reveals in the video he made a similar offer during the local elections - "if you voted for me in the local elections, then you would've got your free Matilda cake."

Mr Islam says the Matilda-inspired cakes at the shop are "the best in town", ending his TikTok video by urging voters to "support the local businesses of the district."

In the comments on the now-deleted video, some users questioned how they could claim the free cake, while others suggested it appeared to be a bribe.

"Ain't no way bros bribing", one comment read, another said "How to claim the free cake?".

Mr Islam posts regularly on TikTok, with some videos getting up to half a million views.

The video concludes showing Mr Ali's campaign poster, which prominently features a Palestinian flag. There are a number of independent candidates running in the election on Gaza tickets, with many frustrated at the Labour Party's stance towards Israel.

Mr Islam regularly criticises Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party in his TikTok posts. In one video he urges voters to "use your vote to vote against those who allow such atrocities to happen... The revolution will start in Bradford West on July 4."

The Bradford West seat was previously held by Labour's Naz Shah before parliament was dissolved for the election. She has a majority of 61%.

ITV News has contacted Mr Islam for comment.

The full list of candidates running in Bradford West are as follows:

• Naz Shah (Labour)

• Nigel Moxon (Conservative)

• Jamie Hinton-Wardle (Reform UK)

• Imad Uddin Ahmed (Liberal Democrats)

• Khalid Mahmood (Green)

• Muhammed Ali Islam (Independent)

• Umar Ghafoor (Independent)

• Akeel Hussain (Independent)

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every day in the run-up to the election Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…