World snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has thrown his support behind independent candidate Faiza Shaheen, weeks after she was blocked from standing for Labour.
The academic quit Sir Keir Starmer’s party on 4 June after she was de-selected from representing Chingford and Woodford Green for liking a series of posts on X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.
In a video alongside Ms Shaheen, the snooker legend said he was “definitely” voting for the candidate who is a “massive part of the community”.
The seven-time world champion added: “I just think someone without passion, you know, dictating what goes on around this area isn’t going to be good for the locals.
“I love this area, it’s my home and it’s a really special place for me.”
Taking to social media, Mrs Shaheen expressed her gratitude and wrote: “The GOAT of snooker supporting our campaign! I can’t believe it.
“I’ve been a huge fan of @ronnieo147 since my teen years and I can’t express how much it means to have this local legend supporting my bid to be an Independent MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.”
She added that he would also be attending a rally to support her campaign on 23 June.
After hitting the campaign trail, Mrs Shaheen discovered she had been de-selected as a candidate and announced her resignation from Labour in a post on X.
She said she had been “penalised for describing my experiences of Islamophobia” and claimed there was a “hierarchy of racism” in the Labour Party, adding she had “been prevented from speaking out” on issues including Palestine.
The following day, she declared her intention to stand as an Independent, and added: “I am standing to give a voice to my community – the community that made me and has put their faith in me.”
In the video, Mr O’Sullivan, 46, said he believed it was important for their local MP to be a person known to the area, and that he believed Mrs Shaheen “wants the best for us”.
He added: “Faiza has bundles of passion. She is well respected here, people know her, they see her in the café or in the supermarket. She’s one of us.
“When I heard she was standing, I got in touch to give her my support. To me, it’s a no-brainer. I’ll be voting for Faiza and, over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be helping to encourage people to get behind her too.”
The Masters championship record-holder had previously backed Ed Miliband’s leadership campaign in 2015 and Jeremy Corbyn in 2017.
