# The Muslim Vote > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Muslim_Vote > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Muslim_Vote.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muslim_Vote > Source revision: 1354148707 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) and [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) leadership stances on the [Gaza war](/source/Gaza_war) among other policy positions. == Background == A survey of [Muslim voters](/source/Islam_in_the_United_Kingdom) reported that 86% voted Labour in the [2019 general election](/source/2019_United_Kingdom_general_election). After Labour initially supported Israeli military action in the [Gaza war](/source/Gaza_war) following the [2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel](/source/October_7_attacks), support for the party fell among Muslims, with a poll by [Survation](/source/Survation) finding only 43% saying they would vote Labour in the next election.{{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}} BBC analysis of the [2024 local elections](/source/2024_United_Kingdom_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.{{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}}{{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}} == History == The Muslim Vote was launched in December 2023. It is "modelled along the lines of [Operation Black Vote](/source/Operation_Black_Vote)".{{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}} Its national co-ordinator, Abubakr Nanabawa, was previously a Labour activist as a student at the [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham).{{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}} The former leader of [Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain](/source/Hizb_ut-Tahrir_Britain), Jalaluddin Patel, said he helped The Muslim Vote, and [Anas Altikriti](/source/Anas_Altikriti) said he advised it. In May 2024 it released a list of eighteen demands for the Labour leader [Keir Starmer](/source/Keir_Starmer), including apologising for his previous stance on the Israel-Hamas war.{{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}}{{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}} The organisation's May 2024 launch in Wales was supported by local branches of the [Palestine Solidarity Campaign](/source/Palestine_Solidarity_Campaign) and the [Stop the War Coalition](/source/Stop_the_War_Coalition).{{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}} In May and June 2024 it endorsed candidates in the [2024 general election](/source/2024_United_Kingdom_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](/source/LGBT) issues in schools where most of the community have a religious background".{{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}} The Muslim Vote said that voters should [spoil their ballots](/source/Spoilt_ballot) if they do not have a "[pro-Palestine](/source/pro-Palestine), pro-peace" candidate.{{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}} The organisation was criticised by some Muslims for supporting four Labour MPs who voted for a motion that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.{{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}} 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](/source/Independent_politician).{{Cn|date=July 2024}} [Ayoub Khan](/source/Ayoub_Khan), [Adnan Hussain](/source/Adnan_Hussain), [Iqbal Mohamed](/source/Iqbal_Mohamed), [Shockat Adam](/source/Shockat_Adam) outright defeated Labour candidates. The Muslim Vote endorsed the [Green Party](/source/Green_Party_of_England_and_Wales) for the [Gorton and Denton by-election](/source/2026_Gorton_and_Denton_by-election) held in February 2026.{{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](/source/5Pillars)}} == Reception == The Muslim Vote has been supported by a number of Muslim organisations including:{{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}} * [Muslim Association of Britain](/source/Muslim_Association_of_Britain) * [Muslim Council of Scotland](/source/Muslim_Council_of_Scotland) * Muslim Council of Wales * [Muslim Engagement and Development](/source/Muslim_Engagement_and_Development) Some organisations supporting the group were named by [Michael Gove](/source/Michael_Gove) as being assessed against a new definition of extremism. The Conservative politicians [Andrew Percy](/source/Andrew_Percy) and [Iain Duncan Smith](/source/Iain_Duncan_Smith) called the organisation a threat to democracy and the Labour politician [Tan Dhesi](/source/Tan_Dhesi) said they were trying to "import toxic politics of persuading people to vote based on religion". Stephen Evans of the [National Secular Society](/source/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".{{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}} == See also== * [Independent Alliance (UK)](/source/Independent_Alliance_(UK)) * [Gaza war protest vote movements](/source/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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Muslim Vote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muslim_Vote) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muslim_Vote?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.