The Labour Party has been sent a strong message not to take Muslim voters for granted after five independent pro-Palestine candidates, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, won in the July 4 general elections. Israel’s war on Gaza was a key issue for voters in these constituencies.
The other independent candidates who won their seats from Labour on Friday include Shockat Adam in Leicester South, Ayoub Khan in Birmingham Perry Barr, Adnan Hussain in Blackburn, and Iqbal Mohamed in Dewsbury and Batley. These victories highlight the significant impact of the Palestinian issue on the election results, as well as the growing influence of Muslim voters in these areas.
In several constituencies, Labour majorities were significantly reduced, with over half a dozen key Labour candidates nearly losing to pro-Gaza independent candidates. The Muslim Vote (TMV) campaign group stated, “These results are unprecedented. They send shockwaves through our political system. The goal from the very start has been to empower the Muslim vote and send the main political parties a message: Muslims are united. In Muslim-heavy areas, your majorities will be under threat, and there may even be an upset. We have done that in spades.”
TMV highlighted Jonathan Ashworth’s loss to Shockat Adam in Leicester South as particularly significant, noting that Ashworth was expected to be in the Cabinet. The group also pointed out that the Liberal Democrats and Greens have benefitted significantly from the Muslim vote, as many Muslims deserted Labour for Independents, Greens, and Lib Dems due to their anti-war stances.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is set to become the next prime minister, experienced a notable reduction in his own majority. He was heckled with shouts of “Free Palestine” both at the polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count as he was declared the winner. Starmer won with 18,884 votes, while pro-Palestinian activist Andrew Feinstein, an independent candidate, came in second with 7,312 votes. Starmer’s majority fell significantly from 22,766 in 2019 to 11,572.
Jeremy Corbyn, a pro-Palestine politician who has represented London’s Islington North constituency for over 40 years, was re-elected after defeating Labour’s Praful Nargund by 24,120 votes to 16,873. Corbyn stated that those who voted for him were “looking for a government that on the world stage will search for peace, not war, and not allow the terrible conditions to go on in Gaza at the present time.”
Shockat Adam, an optician, unseated Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South in a shock outcome. Adam dedicated his victory to “Gaza.” Ashworth, the party’s shadow Cabinet Office minister, was one of the highest-profile political casualties of the rise in support for pro-Palestinian candidates in urban areas with high Muslim populations.
Community worker Iqbal Mohamed, whose key focus areas include a ceasefire in Gaza, beat Labour candidate Heather Iqbal in Dewsbury and Batley. The Muslim Council of Britain congratulated the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer on their successful election victory.
Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, “We congratulate the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer on this historic win and welcome a new government and change for the UK. For over a decade, we have seen an uptick in Islamophobia, in the vilification of Muslims, and poor engagement with our communities. With a new government, now is the time for fostering meaningful dialogue and regaining the trust of British Muslim communities. We need a change to move from austerity to ease, from hardship to comfort, and from divisive politics to a model of engagement that includes all communities.
“For British Muslim voters, as with fellow voters, there has been an overwhelming sense of helplessness over the situation in Gaza and the UK’s unwillingness to demand a ceasefire and call out a plausible genocide. We have seen this best expressed in the seats where independents have now won or taken a considerable share of the vote, an indication that no vote should be taken for granted.”
Britain’s total population is around 65 million according to the 2021 census, with approximately 50 million eligible voters. The total number of Muslims in Britain today is around four million, including Muslims from various backgrounds, with Pakistanis and Kashmiris comprising the largest group at over 1.5 million. Bangladeshi and Indian Muslims also form significant communities, and more than 100,000 people of Pakistani origin live in Scotland.
