{{Short description|British pressure group}} {{Use British English|date=June 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} thumb|Logo of The Muslim Vote '''The Muslim Vote''' is a British pressure group established in December 2023 which seeks to support candidates who oppose the Conservative and Labour leadership stances on the Gaza war among other policy positions.

== Background == A survey of Muslim voters reported that 86% voted Labour in the 2019 general election. After Labour initially supported Israeli military action in the Gaza war following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, support for the party fell among Muslims, with a poll by Survation finding only 43% saying they would vote Labour in the next election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Shehab |title=British Muslim support for Labour falls drastically, according to new poll |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2024-02-05/british-muslim-support-for-labour-halves-according-to-new-poll}}</ref> BBC analysis of the 2024 local elections results said that Labour voteshare had fallen 21 percentage points in council wards where more than 20% of residents are Muslim and analysis by Number Cruncher Politics found that Labour lost 33 percentage points in majority-Muslim areas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Gohil |first=Neha |date=2024-05-20 |title='We had to break the status quo': UK campaign seeks to mobilise Muslim vote |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/20/the-muslim-vote-uk-campaign-seeks-to-mobilise-muslim-vote-abubakr-nanabawa |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Labour vote share down a third in some majority Muslim areas, analysis reveals |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2024-05-14/labour-vote-share-down-a-third-in-some-majority-muslim-areas-analysis-reveals}}</ref>

== History == The Muslim Vote was launched in December 2023.<ref name=":0" /> It is "modelled along the lines of Operation Black Vote".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Stacey |first1=Kiran |last2=Adu |first2=Aletha |date=2024-01-30 |title=Labour acts on fears Muslims will not vote for party over Gaza stance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/30/labour-acts-on-fears-muslims-will-not-vote-for-party-over-gaza-stance |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Its national co-ordinator, Abubakr Nanabawa, was previously a Labour activist as a student at the University of Birmingham.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Sigsworth |first=Tim |date=2024-05-25 |title=Muslim Vote frontman suggested Britain helped 'create racism' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/25/muslim-vote-campaign-frontman-britain-racism/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> The former leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, Jalaluddin Patel, said he helped The Muslim Vote, and Anas Altikriti said he advised it.<ref name=":1" />

In May 2024 it released a list of eighteen demands for the Labour leader Keir Starmer, including apologising for his previous stance on the Israel-Hamas war.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Archie |date=2024-05-07 |title=Muslim group issues 18 demands for Keir Starmer to win back voters lost over Gaza |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-keir-starmer-muslim-gaza-israel-palestine-b2540759.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gibbons |first=Amy |date=2024-05-05 |title=Muslim group issues Starmer with demands to win back lost votes over Gaza |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/05/05/we-need-to-win-back-labour-voters-left-over-gaza/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

The organisation's May 2024 launch in Wales was supported by local branches of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition.<ref name = "Wales">{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Mark |date=2024-05-11 |title=Muslim campaign launch in Wales aimed at getting people to vote against the Tories and Labour |url=https://nation.cymru/news/muslim-campaign-launch-in-wales-aimed-at-getting-people-to-vote-against-the-tories-and-labour/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In May and June 2024 it endorsed candidates in the 2024 general election. It says it chose candidates who oppose the UK government's approach to the Israel-Hamas war alongside a list of other priorities including support for public services and that "schoolteachers take cultural and religious sensitivies into account, not least when discussing LGBT issues in schools where most of the community have a religious background".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=UK election: What is The Muslim Vote - and why does it matter? |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainer/uk-election-what-is-muslim-vote-why-matter-tmv |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref> The Muslim Vote said that voters should spoil their ballots if they do not have a "pro-Palestine, pro-peace" candidate.<ref name = "telegraph-extemism">{{Cite news |last=Holl-Allen |first=Genevieve |date=2024-04-07 |title=Muslim voting campaign supported by groups investigated over extremism |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/07/muslim-voting-campaign-supported-groups-probed-extremism/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

The organisation was criticised by some Muslims for supporting four Labour MPs who voted for a motion that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.<ref>{{Cite web |last=5Pillars (RMS) |date=2024-06-06 |title=The Muslim Vote endorses four Labour candidates |url=https://5pillarsuk.com/2024/06/06/the-muslim-vote-endorses-three-labour-candidates/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=5Pillars}}</ref>

Candidates endorsed by The Muslim Vote received 462,728 votes in the election (1.61%), and were elected in 4 constituencies. All 4 elected candidates were independents.{{Cn|date=July 2024}} Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam outright defeated Labour candidates.

The Muslim Vote endorsed the Green Party for the Gorton and Denton by-election held in February 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nanabawa |first=Abubakr |date=26 January 2026 |title=Gorton and Denton: It’s time to unite around the Greens to defeat Labour and Reform |url=https://5pillarsuk.com/2026/01/26/gorton-and-denton-its-time-to-unite-around-the-greens-to-defeat-labour-and-reform/ |access-date=27 January 2026 |work=5Pillars}}</ref>

== Reception == The Muslim Vote has been supported by a number of Muslim organisations including:<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK election: What is The Muslim Vote - and why does it matter? |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainer/uk-election-what-is-muslim-vote-why-matter-tmv |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref><ref name = "telegraph-extemism"/><ref name = "Wales"/>

* Muslim Association of Britain * Muslim Council of Scotland * Muslim Council of Wales * Muslim Engagement and Development

Some organisations supporting the group were named by Michael Gove as being assessed against a new definition of extremism.<ref name = "telegraph-extemism"/> The Conservative politicians Andrew Percy and Iain Duncan Smith called the organisation a threat to democracy and the Labour politician Tan Dhesi said they were trying to "import toxic politics of persuading people to vote based on religion".<ref name=":3" /> Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society called on the Labour Party to ignore the demands of The Muslim Vote, stating that the organisation "represent themselves, not Muslim voters", adding that Muslims are not a monolithic voting bloc and warning that "abandoning universalism to pander to this kind of sectarianism would be dangerous and divisive".<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 May 2024 |title=Scrapping admissions cap signals alarming lurch towards religious privilege |url=https://www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2024/05/scrapping-admissions-cap-signals-alarming-lurch-towards-religious-privilege |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=National Secular Society}}</ref>

== See also== * Independent Alliance (UK) * Gaza war protest vote movements

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muslim Vote, The}} Category:2023 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:2024 in British politics Category:Religious activism Category:Lobbying organisations in the United Kingdom Category:Islamic political organizations Category:Islamic organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom Category:Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom Category:Palestinian solidarity movement in the United Kingdom