Councillor's life is easy, Lib Dem tells court
A BIRMINGHAM Liberal Democrat who has claimed incapacity benefit for 25 years because he is too ill to work told a court that he wanted to become a city councillor because it would be an easy life.
Saeed Aehmed admitted only ever holding two jobs, between 1972 and 1982, latterly as a machine operator at a milk factory, before poor health caused him to give up work.
But in 2002 he was selected as Labour candidate for Aston ward, before being dropped by the party after failing to give satisfactory answers about four applications for disability benefit grants.
He stood in the 2002 election as an Independent Labour candidate before joining the Liberal Democrats, for whom he contested the 2004 and 2007 elections.
An election court has been considering a petition brought by Mr Aehmed claiming that he was beaten in the 2007 election following a Labour smear campaign.
The court heard how Mr Aehmed and his wife claimed four disability improvement grants for their house in Aston from the council over a period of more than ten years.
When giving evidence to the court, Mr Aehmed said he remained unfit to work, suffering from asthma, back pain and depression. He said he had no source of income other than incapacity benefit.
Gavin Millar QC, representing the Labour Party, put it to Mr Aehmed: "You are well enough to serve as a Birmingham city councillor but not well enough to work for the purposes of the incapacity benefit test?"
Mr Aehmed said: "Being a councillor is very easy."
(Proceeding)
f=XClearfaceGothicLH-Bold ELECTI0N COURT: oBeaten candidate had claimed incapacity benefit for 25 years
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