LABOUR MP Tahir Ali is being investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) for alleged breaches of spending rules.
Ali, who represents Birmingham Hall Green & Moseley, allegedly used public money to do up his constituency office at the Gulzare Habib Islamic Centre in Sparkhill, Birmingham, The Times reported.
Three sources told The Times that the inquiry relates to “office costs, travel and accommodation” and concerns the office on College Road.
A source told The Times that Ali spent money renovating the office but was later asked to leave by mosque leaders after they backed independent candidate Mohammad Hafeez at the last general election.
Ali allegedly took office fixtures and fittings that were not his and threw them into a skip.
Ali paid £2,400 a quarter in office rent between August 2020 and January this year and claimed £11,987.20 in maintenance, recreation and repair costs in 2021. In 2023 he spent £2,760 replacing and installing sockets and paid £2,500 to Kaz Solution, a Birmingham-based decorating company.
Ali has told party officials the inquiry was about moving from an old office to a new one. He has said: “I am confident that I have been compliant with Ipsa rules and will fully co-operate with the investigation.” Ipsa has visited his new office and the mosque. An Ipsa spokesman said no further information would be published until the investigation concludes.
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Russell Brand leaves Southwark Crown Court after entering not guilty pleas
Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges involving four women ahead of 2026 trial
Russell Brand, once a regular on TV screens and now a high-profile online figure, appeared in a London court on Friday and denied all allegations of rape and sexual assault. The case, involving accusations from four different women, will now move towards a trial scheduled for 3 June 2026.
The 49-year-old, known for his past work in comedy and film, as well as for his recent outspoken online presence, faces five charges: one of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assaults, and one of indecent assault. The alleged incidents happened between 1999 and 2005, a time when Brand was climbing the ladder in Britain’s entertainment industry.
The courtroom appearance was brief but closely watched. Dozens of journalists were present as Brand stood in a glass enclosure at Southwark Crown Court. Dressed in a dark suit and open-collared shirt, he said “not guilty” to each charge.
One of the most serious allegations involves an incident during a political event in Bournemouth in 1999. A woman claims Brand raped her in a hotel room after a Labour Party conference. Other accusations include unwanted sexual advances and assaults at a TV station and a party in London.
Brand has rejected all accusations since they first surfaced in a joint media investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches in 2023. He later posted a video on social media calling himself a former addict and flawed individual, but insisted he never acted without consent.
The trial is expected to last four to five weeks. Due to a backlog in the UK’s court system, such delays between a plea and trial are common. British law protects the identities of people who report sexual assault unless they choose to go public and also restricts pre-trial reporting to avoid influencing jurors.
Once a mainstream star with roles in hit films and a high-profile marriage to singer Katy Perry, Brand has since reinvented himself as an online commentator. His YouTube channel, filled with politically charged and often controversial content, has millions of followers.
For now, Brand remains free while awaiting trial in a high-profile case that will unfold years after the alleged events took place.