A Birmingham leisure centre manager who is suing his council bosses for racial discrimination is set to stand for election.

Zhor Malik, was suspended from work at Nechells leisure centre, but is due to challenge his suspension at an employment tribunal in January following a preliminary hearing in September.

Now the Labour Party has selected him to stand in the new Balsall Heath West seat in the 2018 local election. The area has traditionally been safe Labour territory meaning Mr Malik is odds on favourite to win a seat on the city council in May.

He beat competition from veteran city councillor Tony Kennedy who currently represents the area.

But he has refused to comment on the allegations until his tribunal is over.

He said: “As you know I have an employment tribunal on January 8 and am not going to comment until that is over.”

The city council said it does not comment on individual cases and the Labour Party will not comment on selections.

Labour Party members across the city are finalising the selection of their 101 candidates for the May 2018 elections and the contests have not been without controversy.

The Coventry Election is well under way with ballot forms from the first boxes being counted at The Ricoh Arena.

There is to be a third ballot in Harborne following complaints that due process has not been followed.

Candidate Sundip Meghani was selected in August only to have the result cancelled as members complained they had not been informed of the vote.

Mr Meghani won a second vote held on Saturday, December 2, by a reported 17 to 13 votes, only for the result to again be challenged by members of the Jeremy Corbyn supporting Momentum group which claims that again correct processes were not followed. Labour Party bosses have confirmed that the selection will now be re-run.

Mr Meghani said: “I have now participated in two internal Labour Party selection meetings in Harborne — and won both times. I was pleased to receive the backing of local party members. Of course I am disappointed at the prospect of the selection meeting being run a third time.

"However I have faith and confidence in Harborne Labour Party members to select the person they feel is best equipped to help jointly lead our local election campaign, and work hard in the local community, to help improve peoples’ lives.”

Sundip Meghani

Other selections have also seen nail biting finishes and bitter contests as councillors and would-be councillors squabble over fewer seats - with the current 120 due to be reduced to 101 in May.

There are likely to be several high profile councillors left without a seat when the round of selections are finished next week.

Veteran councillor Ansar Ali Khan is reported to have been de-selected in Alum Rock. He lost to another senior councillor Mohammed Idrees in a the crunch battle.

Cllr Khan won his current Washwood Heath seat in 2015 with a whopping 9,200 votes, a majority of almost 7,800 over his nearest rival.

The Labour Party said it will release a full list of 101 candidates next week when the selections are all completed.