When I announced that I was selected to stand as an independent candidate for my home, Ilford North, I did so out of a deep sense of responsibility.

For some time, I felt our political class was unresponsive to the needs of ordinary people like you and me.

On 4 July, I narrowly lost to Wes Streeting by 528 votes. It has been described as a seismic result—for someone my age running an insurgent campaign that nearly brought down a leading light of the Labour Party and health secretary.

Yet, I was not surprised. For weeks, my team and I had meticulously knocked on doors and engaged with everyone in every ward.

I felt and heard consistently the message that politics was broken, that the two-party system did not deliver, that representatives were aloof, and that there was a deep sense of betrayal.

I knew then what election data points to now: Labour would not win this on a wave of popular enthusiasm but because of a deep resentment towards the Conservatives.

This is why I ran a positive campaign. Tackling issues from the NHS, crime, support for youth services and housing provision in Ilford.

Yes, I stood as an independent, without a party machine behind me. But we gathered a ready, inspiring base of volunteers who were willing to come out because they believed in a cause greater than any individual.

I remember recruiting people to my campaign after meaningful conversations on the doorstep. This was the power of our movement.

Gaza did play a central role in my campaign. And I will not shy away from this.

As a British Palestinian, I felt acutely how the then-Tory government and the Labour opposition had aided and abetted this horrible onslaught on defenceless people.

Wes Streeting, like Keir Starmer, obstructed calls for a ceasefire in November. It was clear to me that the callousness with which they acted abroad reflected the callousness with which they dealt with people at home.

The most recent rejection of the two-child benefits cap is just one example of how this Labour government has abdicated its responsibilities to the least fortunate.

Since the election, Wes Streeting has claimed that his loss of more than 20 per cent of the vote was due to a divisive campaign.

This, in my opinion, downplays the strength of feeling in his own constituency and the 15,000+ voters who were ready to make political history.

It also reflects an inability to observe the intensity of feeling that exists in Ilford. We gathered people of all faiths, colours and ethnicities under a shared banner of humanity.

I believe this independent movement will only grow stronger. This two-party nightmare has to end, and we need representation that really does work.

I am hopeful. I met my wonderful friends and neighbours of Ilford North and sat in their front rooms, discussing their joys and worries.

We have to resist a race to the bottom, where politicians scapegoat the weak to win marginal results.

We showed the political class that they are vulnerable to the people. Let’s continue this people-powered political movement.