Grassroots organisation The Muslim Vote aims to mobilise our brothers and sisters to vote in targeted constituencies where Muslims make up over ten percent of the electorate. Check out the list of independent MPs if you, like many of us, desire a sweeping change from the current state of affairs.
Muslims make up over 30% of the electorate in twenty constituencies across the UK.
In the 2019 general election, over 80% of Muslims voted Labour. Fast forward to 2024, with nearly 4 million Muslims in the UK, the word on the street is that the Labour party is no longer a viable option in terms of shared values, or perceived empathy towards the things that matter to the Ummah.
Historically Labour voters, early elections in May across the UK suggests that the winds are-a-changing, with Labour party support down by eight points since last year in areas where Muslim populations are more than ten percent.
For example, Labour lost control of Oldham council, an area that is 24% Muslim. The deputy leader of Manchester council, who represented Labour, also lost his seat to a representative of George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain.
In the West Midlands mayoral election, the independent pro-Gaza candidate, Akmed Yaqoob, took third position after winning nearly 70,000 votes. He is now contesting Birmingham Ladywood, a safe Labour parliamentary seat held by shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood since 2010.
Another example is Bethnal Green and Stepney – which will be targeted by an independent pro-Gaza candidate standing against Labour’s Rushanara Ali, who has sadly been conspicuously mute on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Initially, that independent candidate was Solicitor Tasnime Akunjee. However, in June 2024, Akunjee withdrew, arguing that the independent pro-ceasefire vote across the country was being split by multiple people standing in one constituency and would therefore step aside to make way for other candidates, namely Ajmal Masroor and late contender, Sham Uddin.
To help our brothers and sisters in the UK to make informed choices for this year’s election, with the help of the great work by the Muslim Vote and start-up Palitics, we have outlined below the following list of Independents (with the exception of the Worker’s Party) who have publicly indicated that they are pro-peace candidates:
Bethnal Green and Stepney Ajmal Masroor and Sham Uddin
Blackburn Adnan Hussain
Birmingham Perry Barr Ayoub Khan
Birmingham Yardley Jody McIntyre (Workers Party of Britain)
Ilford South Noor Jahan Begum
Islington North Jeremy Corbyn
Leeds North East Dawud Islam (Workers Party of Britain)
Leicester East Claudia Webbe
Luton South and South Bedfordshire Attiq Malik
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton Zaffar Iqbal
Rochdale George Galloway (Workers Party of Britain)
Walthamstow Imran Arshad (Workers Party of Britain)
Whomever you decide to vote for in this year’s election, one thing is for sure, the Muslim Vote has the potential to be a powerful unifying collective, where one Muslim vote is one vote of emancipation for our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
Let’s make our voice heard in one, unified roar. Free Palestine.
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