Muslim election campaign group calls for united alliance in future UK elections
A Muslim election campaign group has called for a political alliance between left-wing parties such as the Green Party and independent groups in order to challenge the Labour government in future elections.
The Muslim Vote (TMV) came to prominence after the start of Israel's war on Gaza and pitted itself against Labour over its leadership's initial support of Israel's military campaign, which has killed at least 38,000 Palestinians.
There were five independent candidates backed by TMV who won seats in the British parliament during the general election held on 4 July.
The group, however, identified six seats in which vote splitting between candidates with similar platforms allowed Labour to win seats: Ilford North, Bethnal Green and Bow, Birmingham Yardley, Birmingham Ladywood, Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley.
The most dramatic of these was the Ilford North race, where independent British-Palestinian candidate Leanne Mohamad came within 528 votes of costing Labour's Wes Streeting his seat. Streeting is now health minister.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
In Bethnal Green and Stepney, independent candidate Ajmal Masroor came second, just 1,689 votes short of winning.
TMV's main aim appears to be the inclusion of the Green Party of England and Wales in a possible electoral alliance.
The Greens won four seats and campaigned on an environmentalist, anti-war and pro-Palestine platform.
"If we look at the rise of the Green Party for example - we can see that in the 40 constituencies where they came second - 22 of those constituencies have a population of over 10 percent Muslims. Muslim voters will be vital to the Greens," TMV posted on X.
Supporters of Mohamad's campaign have reasoned that in Ilford North, much of the 1,794 votes Green candidate Rachel Collinson picked up may have helped tilt the race in the candidate's favour.
In Masroor’s constituency, the Green party secured 6,391 votes.
The example of the left-wing alliance formed by La France Insoumise leader Jean-Luc Melenchon which also included the Green party of France has increased talk of a similar movement forming in the UK.
In France's most recent general election, also held in July, the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition won most seats, challenging both President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Rennaisance bloc and the far-right National Front bloc, which is led by Marine Le Pen.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
