(PICTURE: Sadiq Khan)
UK election: Prospects of aspiring Muslim MPs
Elham Asaad BuarasThe prospects of having more Muslim candidates elected at the General Election are much brighter than in 2005. Although there are around the same number standing (80 compared to 79 in 2005), more will be elected than in 2005, including several women, from various parties. As has become customary, The Muslim News presents the most comprehensive analysis of the various chances and challenges faced by the aspiring MPs.
The capital is divided into 73 seats, making it a major factor on the make-up of the next Government. Nineteen (4 Labour, 1 Tory, 6 Lib Dems and 8 others) Muslim Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) are contesting 16 seats, the highest number of all the regions.
In 1997 rows of formerly safe London Tory seats fell in Labour’s landslide victory. In 2005 the Tories recovered in the suburbs, while the Labour vote fell in some of the more liberal inner city areas, making a number of seats highly marginal. In 2008 Labour suffered a further blow when Boris Johnson was elected Mayor. Despite this, many polls have London as one of the lower-swing regions in the election.
Key Tory contests are in outer London seats that went Labour in 1997 – Brentford & Isleworth, Eltham, Enfield North, Finchley & Golders Green, Harrow East and Hendon. Others tenuously marginal seats include Battersea and Westminster North. The Lib Dems will try to hold off the Tories in 5 southern seats, and will target several Labour ones in the inner city such as Islington South & Finsbury and Holborn & St Pancras. Boundary changes create a new Brent Central seat forcing Labour’s Dawn Butler MP and Lib Dems Sarah Teather MP to fight it out. In Barking & Dagenham, the far-right British National Party (BNP) will be mounting their most serious assault, a seat where their first councillor was elected in 2006. A London-wide YouGov poll put the BNP on 3%, its highest figure.
In the East End the battle to secure the coveted Muslim vote in the Respect held Bethnal Green & Bow is expected to be hard fought, but Labour’s Bangladeshi-born Rushanara Ali is well placed to become one of several female Muslim MPs, a first in the UK. For the first time in its history, the seat with a 39% Muslim population is guaranteed a Muslim MP as all the front runners are Muslims. Ali’s chances of regaining the Labour safe seat lost by Oona King to George Galloway in 2005 are boosted by the fact that only 823 votes separate the parties and that Labour have listed it as number 18 target seat.
Oxford University Graduate, Ali, who has worked with a local social innovation think tank focused, promptly publicised her anti-war view, an issue that cost King her seat: “I was opposed to the war in Iraq. I understand the sentiments that many people felt around that, but we need to focus around the local issues that many people are very worried about, like health, jobs and life chances. Labour can deliver and care about this community. I’m running for one reason alone and that is to unite the East End. We need to move past the divisions in the community to tackle the issues that matter to local people, like community safety, jobs and housing.”
Ali is be up against leader of Respect group on Tower Hamlets Council, Abjol Miah, and not Galloway who has departed to the newly created Poplar & Limehouse, where he is be up against Jim Fitzpatrick, MP. Miah praised Respect’s achievements, which include “stop[ing] eleven stock transfers (selling off estates to private landlords); with others won a referendum on the right of people to choose if they want a local directly elected Mayor; made social housing and parking rip offs a political issue for the Council; championed fairer taxes and at every turn fought racism and promoted good community relations. We have stood in solidarity with those facing job cuts, university closures and Trust schools.” He insisted that Labour’s infighting will jeopardize their chances. “New Labour in the area is in total disarray: for years faction fights have paralysed them and betrayed the interests of local people.”
The Tory’s sole Muslim PPC in the capital, Zahir Khan, denied Bethnal Green & Bow is a two horse race between Respect and Labour PPCs. “There isn’t an incumbent MP defending a seat so the slate is clean. I think it’s an open field and no one is guaranteed.” Khan said he is confident the Tories will come to power and that the Muslim community should engage with parties other than Labour. “It’s important that the Muslim and Asian communities engage with the party in power, we’ve historically voted for the opposition.” He also urged for voters “to vote wisely. In the last election we voted for Galloway out of anger, and he could not deliver anything because he is one person fighting against the system.”
Broadcast journalist Ajmal Masroor, 39, insisted the Lib Dems will play a vital role in the elections. “If there’s a hung Parliament the balance of power would be decided by the Lib Dems.” Masroor, a community development and youth worker, will hope to raise the Lib Dems poor showing Bethnal Green & Bow when the party came fourth with only 4,928 of the vote. “Lib Dems have the best programme for tackling the tirade of Islamophobic and draconian and anti-human liberty legislation that the Government has pursued and the Conservatives have supported, and finally bread-and-butter issues such as cutting income tax to £10,000 as well as looking to abolish Council Tax and taking people out of misery and debt by cutting tuition fees, these are ground breaking policies.” He also praised his party’s international policies: “Lib Dems has been consistently against the Iraq war, injustices that have been perpetrated against the Palestinians. In fact Nick Clegg has asked for a trade embargo against Israel and an end to a privileged trade relation that it has with the EU.”
Green PPC and anti-war campaigner, Farid Bakht, is also contesting Bethnal Green & Bow. Bakht, who is the International Coordinator on the party’s National Executive Committee, wants to bring “polarisation” and unity to the borough. Hackney-born Bakht, says he wants to protect young people against any cuts to education, abolish student tuition fees and help train them.
The other Muslim PPCs standing in Bethnal Green & Bow include; Haji Mahmood Choudhury (Independent), Ahmed Malik (Independent), Hasib Hikmat (United Voice
The Green Party has also fielded a total of 72 PPCs in the capital among them Melan Zahra Fardouee (Kensington & Chelsea) and former academic researcher Anne Gray, 65, (Tottenham). Gray supports the local campaigns to save the Whittington Hospital A&E and challenge health service privatisation. She also campaigns on civil liberties and solidarity with Palestine.
Newly created Poplar & Limehouse is one of only two seats where two incumbents fight it out. Environment Minister and Poplar & Canning Town MP, Jim Fitzpatrick will duel against Bethnal Green & Bow MP George Galloway. The rise of Respect and the resulting splitting of the Labour vote combined with gentrification in areas around Canary Wharf have meant that the nationally safe Labour seat of Poplar & Limehouse is now a Tory target seat requiring a swing of fewer than 6%. Fitzpatrick said a vote for Galloway would benefit the Tories adding, “Respect can influence none of that because they are a minor protest group, which does not perform well in the council, which does not have credible [international development] policies, which will not be in power.”
He suggested that Galloway’s record as MP for Bethnal Green & Bow will repel some voters. “People voted for George Galloway because they didn’t know him as well as they do now. The problem that he has had having to pay back money to the House of Commons, having to compensate a member of staff who he sacked by email, having a poor parliamentary record in terms of speaking and voting, spending as much of his time outside parliament… demonstrates that George Galloway’s record is one that people really need to look very closely at before they decide to vote for him again.”
Galloway staunchly defended his parliamentary record. “My expenses as MP for Bethnal Green & Bow are zero, I’m the only London MP whose expenses were zero, and the money paid back was for a telephone bill from 6 years ago that was wrongly applied to a budget by the finance office staff,” he said.
He highlighted Fitzpatrick’s own voting record: “Most votes are either for the Prime Minister’s motion or for the leader of the opposition amendment…and I seldom vote for either. However, I did vote against the war and he voted for it, I did vote against identity cards and he voted for them, I did vote against tuition fees for students and he voted for them, I did vote against the so-called anti-terror legislation and he voted for it. I did vote to demand a ceasefire in Lebanon and he voted against it, I could go on.”
Occupational therapist, Mohammed Hoque and Kabir Mahmud will both stand as Independent PPC’s in Polar & Limehouse.
Respect PPC Samad Billo and the Lib Dem’s Johar Khan are both vying for Enfield Southgate. But the contest is expected to be between Labour PPC Bambos Charalambous and incumbent Tory MP David Burrowes who in 2005 ousted Labour’s Stephen Twigg, by 8.7% swing.
In Croydon North, Respect PPC Mohammed Shaikh is to take his anti-war and anti- public sector cuts message to the Labour stronghold (31.7%) seat.
The Labour selection for the east London seat of Walthamstow has attracted some controversy from Labour activists. Neil Gerrard, MP, is standing down and his replacement Stella Creasy was selected through an all women shortlist, which some have criticised as missing an opportunity to select a male Black or Asian PPC for a seat that has both Afro-Caribbean communities (17%) and Asian (17.8%) populations. Lib Dems PPC Farid Ahmed is trying to narrow the Labour majority of 7,993 in 2005 he came second with 9,330 of the votes an impressive 12.5% increase from the 2001 election.
Labour MP, Sadiq Khan, won the Tooting seat with 43.1% of the vote in the last General Election. The Transport Minister has become the first Muslim to sit in on cabinet meetings. He is expected to successfully defend his 5,381 majority but faces possible consequence of a backlash against the Government.
Khan won the seat in 2005, but with a greatly reduced majority. Labour’s share of the vote fell by 11% to 43% turning this into a three-way contest with the Tory on 30% and the Lib Dems, whose vote share rose by more than any other party, on nearly 20%. Lib Dems have selected Nasser Butt as their PPC for Tooting. Butt is one of the party’s senior human rights activists, a long time campaigner for the party. Tory PPC Mark Clarke said the “popularity” of the Tory council would be an advantage in fighting for the 6.1% swing needed if Tooting is to go Tory.
Labour is trying to regain their Wimbledon seat from the Tories; the Greater London seat has exchanged hands from the Tories and Labour since the 1992 elections. Lib Dems PPC Shas Sheehan will want to break that trend. Although the Lib Dems came in at third with 18.1% of the vote in 2005, they did however increase their vote by 5.1 % for the first time.
Greenwich & Woolwich is currently held by Labour’s Nick Raynsford. The Lib Dems who came in at second with 20.7% of the vote have selected 26 year old estate agent, Joseph Lee, as their PPC. Leader of the Tory group on Greenwich Council, Councillor Spencer Drury, is standing on behalf of the Tories.
Sonia Klein, 41, is standing for Ilford North, Labour target number 28, a seat lost by Labour MP Linda Perham to the Tories in 2005. The Senior Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers will hope to overturn the notional majority of 4%. Klein’s manifesto centres on economic development and social Justice.
She said, “We need inward investment to create new jobs. We have a lot of assets in Ilford which we’re not making the most of. We have great creativity and talent which we can combine together to put Ilford on the map.”
The north-west London seat of Harrow East with many Asian voters includes Kenton, Wealdstone and Stanmore. Its border has been redrawn somewhat in the 2010 boundary review. The seat is considered a Tory target (56) and their PPC Bob Blackman is best placed to benefit from any backlash over the expenses claims of Labour Minister Tony McNulty, MP. According to one poll McNulty’s 2005 majority has been reduced from 4,730 (9.3%) to a notional majority of 2,647 (6.2%). Lib Dems Iran born PPC Nahid Boethe is attempting to build on the party’s slender success (2.7% vote increase) but the party is expected to remain in third place.
one way to stop muslim politicians is to bring dictatorship in UK
how could you stop otherwise?
====================
Please read my blog read how islam will win the
clash of civilization.
http://www.xanga.com/hfghj23458654fgha
Listen kope, you are like a robot, and no one here will convert. Take it somewhere else.
As a Christian all I can say is you are terribly, sadly confused and you will NOT win. Best of luck on you head severing, woman stoning, wife beating activities you satanic savage.
My EDL minions! well done continue meeting in backend streets and pub toilets and sucking each other off you fagott pedo c*&^%! hahahahaha
Do you condemn Mohammad for being a pedophile?
This goes hand in hand with the Muslim Brotherhood in America..
Chris…you may want to link to the Home Page of the ITF…
The people of the UK need to be better educated to the true threat of Islam, and Muslim immigration must be ended.
and that is why we will continue to fight …you may not like our culture, but we do, and no muslim will change it. If you don't like it…close your eyes as well as your mouth.
Sometimes I wonder if UK has not already passed the point of no return. If they don't start to repatriate lots and lots of arselifters very soon then they will be doomed!
Britain does not need a dictatorship, that is what the Muslims willimpose, as will the LibTurds.
They don't need racism. Neither do they need Identity politics. They need facts, logic & complete honesty, characteristics sadly lacking.
That was the worst loadof rubbish I've seen in a long time, arselifter. Besides, you have shown pictures of half to almost nekkid women which is a grave sin in mahoundianism. So who will throw the first stone at kope?
I see kope the dope is at it again. Next the retard will call for the caliphate in the UK.
So kope's got a porn site? Better report it!
Yes, this election will either be a watershed or seal their doom.
this is the final jihad they are fighting. They are using deceit to infiltrate western civilization at every level.
A way to STOP them is for the TRUTH of Islam to get out.. like the koran says that they need to kill ALL infidels, including all Christians and Jews.. If the TRUTH of Islam could be told honestly,, Islam would not exist except by those who ARE EVIL
Fox had one, but I don't know if it every aired. I never heard about it, but it is on youtube. I don't think that now their Saudi masters are buying more of them that we would ever see reruns or any others like it. I was disgusted with the hostess too – she came off like a complete idiot.
Debate: Stealth Jihad – Terror from within (1 of 8) (on Fox news and you should be able to find the rest and watch, and if not – let me know I can give you the links) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8dLwLd6UA
Fox had one, but I don't know if it every aired. I never heard about it, but it is on youtube. I don't think that now their Saudi masters are buying more of them that we would ever see reruns or any others like it. I was disgusted with the hostess too – she came off like a complete idiot.
Debate: Stealth Jihad – Terror from within (1 of 8) (on Fox news and you should be able to find the rest and watch, and if not – let me know I can give you the links) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8dLwLd6UA
Fox had one, but I don't know if it every aired. I never heard about it, but it is on youtube. I don't think that now their Saudi masters are buying more of them that we would ever see reruns or any others like it. I was disgusted with the hostess too – she came off like a complete idiot.
Debate: Stealth Jihad – Terror from within (1 of 8) (on Fox news and you should be able to find the rest and watch, and if not – let me know I can give you the links) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8dLwLd6UA
Fox had one, but I don't know if it every aired. I never heard about it, but it is on youtube. I don't think that now their Saudi masters are buying more of them that we would ever see reruns or any others like it. I was disgusted with the hostess too – she came off like a complete idiot.
Debate: Stealth Jihad – Terror from within (1 of 8) (on Fox news and you should be able to find the rest and watch, and if not – let me know I can give you the links) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8dLwLd6UA
Thanks, I should be able to look them up.
With a Soddy Barbarian now on the board, I doubt you'll hear much criticism of hislam ever again.
I recall seeing a documentary on local TV some years ago. All the talking heads were western academics and they were all dhimmis. Not one bad word was said about Mahound or hislam. Instead it was presented as the best thing in the world. Absolutely reeked of takiya. Made by the BBC or one of the other UK production houses, I think.
When there is an attack like the Fort Hood one, FOX and others stations, usually bring on some representative of an Islamic organization. The guy will say that the attack had nothing to do with Islam, and the reporters never challenge them by quoting the scriptures. They just thank them, and end the segment.
Yep, same thing here. Do a search on the name "Keyser Trad" sometime.
Fox had one, but I don't know if it every aired. I never heard about it, but it is on youtube. I don't think that now their Saudi masters are buying more of them that we would ever see reruns or any others like it. I was disgusted with the hostess too – she came off like a complete idiot.
Debate: Stealth Jihad – Terror from within (1 of 8) (on Fox news and you should be able to find the rest and watch, and if not – let me know I can give you the links) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8dLwLd6UA
I think what's needed is a good TV documentary. Only this time keep quite about who's making it.
Once arselifters get wind of it, they'll be up in arms, but the publicity will only get more people to watch it. Put all the truth into it about hislam, the evilness, the real history, etc. It will shock people but the truth will be out there and arselifters won't be able to stop it.
The rise of muslims in the government, and other institutions was the beginning of the end of Lebanon too. We are seeing the zero in the oval office put them in our government – and some of the useful idiots in many states are allowing it too.
The big question is whether the damage can be undone after he's booted out. The way things are looking, the Dhimmicrats will be booted out come November but that still leaves the US with O'Bummer for another 2 years.
They can make his impact less. They can do what the Democrats did to Bush. do not ok any of his judicial nominees, call for Congressional hearings on some of the things that he has already done, etc. Remember the dems wouldn't even give Bush an Attorney General. The democrats are probably the most vile bunch of pukes in office today. I can't even believe anyone would vote for one of them. And that they do shows us either the continued and chosen ignorance of many Democrats or the complete Marxist/islamic ideology that is pervasive.
I've been trying to catch up on American politics lately, but I don't pretend to understand it all. I'm still mystified by some of it since its different to the Westminster system I'm used to.
No problem. I used to work in a left winger idiot looney bin – the University of California system. I would keep abreast of things because the idiots voting for Democrats did not have a clue what they were voting for. So I would tell them every so often. And what did they do? …. they spouted back whatever mantra the TV media/comedians/etc would spout on TV.
left wingers/Democrats are very predictable. And they call us the dumb ones.
Its a systemic problem in the West. Its takes something almost cataclysmic to make them think first.
They can make his impact less. They can do what the Democrats did to Bush. do not ok any of his judicial nominees, call for Congressional hearings on some of the things that he has already done, etc. Remember the dems wouldn't even give Bush an Attorney General. The democrats are probably the most vile bunch of pukes in office today. I can't even believe anyone would vote for one of them. And that they do shows us either the continued and chosen ignorance of many Democrats or the complete Marxist/islamic ideology that is pervasive.
They could use pseudonyms when they rolled the end-titles. They could also use already existing material unless it is copyrighted of course. But if Geert Wilders managed to make his movie anyone else should too. The problem is to get it aired. The Soddy Barbarians owns most tv-channels I guess.
Credit it to Theo Van Gogh or Alan Smithee. 🙂
It would have to air on prime time with a provocative title. Getting arselifters riled up about it when its ready to be shown, should have the desired effect.
I understand that Christian TV is fairly big in the US. Although, if they produced such a program, it will draw claims of bias from the leftards.
There will be a new civil war soon
Hi Ryan,
I could see that happening. Check out the comments from "Gary" in the UK. According to him there is really no problem.
https://loganswarning.com/2010/03/04/uk-muslim-wom…
we want equality , not racism
all Muslims christian should have this same right
this what we support
we don’t want another hitler or nazis .
Hi Marina,
Who is we? Islam is what is comparable to Nazism.
Muslims supported the Nazis with all their hearts.
The Waffen SS had Muslim units doing their dirty work all over the Balkans and Greece in ww2.
Islam is much closer to Nazism than Christianity.
Several devout Catholics and other Christians were imprisoned for their anti-Nazi views in concentration camps.
I cannot say the same of any Muslims.
Islam and Marxism have had close ties, too. Saddam Hussein idolised Joseph Stalin. I had noticed similarities in their methods of torture.
The real common denominator is totalitarianism.
Equality?
On what terms?
In what sense?
Equality in order to protect the Muslim slave trade in Africa?
Equality in order to protect FGM?
Sorry. You won’t find tolerance for those things here.
Liar
I am a Christian and all of my family have been for centuries my ancestors were with John Wesley. You want to wipe us off the face of the earth. Your prayers and your vile book reflect this command by your man mo.
Here in the uk we have Muslim baronesses in the House of Lords. They are shouting about the rest of us being Islamaphobic now. Stage 2 of the Muslim Brotherhood Strategy Plan it seems.
Islam is having a dreadful effect on the British way of life. I don’t think many Christians realise that they are eating halal meat blessed by an imam. Ben Bradshaw the ex Labour minister for Food and Agriculture (DEFRA)stated while he was in office, that the production of halal meat was ‘extremely cruel’ but for the sake of community harmony, he would not ban it.
Hang in there Emmi, we are in this together!
“Community harmony” Once again, a muslim throws a hissy fit and we must all obey.
Your thoughts are not determined by your community. They should be determined by your own capacity to reason and your own good sense.
Quote:
Ben Bradshaw the ex Labour minister for Food and Agriculture (DEFRA)stated while he was in office, that the production of halal meat was ‘extremely cruel’ but for the sake of community harmony, he would not ban it.
end quote.
Do the Britons feel themselves to be subdued yet?
Halal slaughter is just practice for jihad.
Rest assured, the goat whose throat is cut will be a human being within a decade.
He may not ban it for it’s hideous cruelty but equally as bad he cares not that Christians are strictly forbidden to eat meat that is sacrificed or offered up to other Gods. He doesn’t give a damn about violating Christians religious rights.
Read the New Testament it is STRICTLY forbidden by Jesus no wiggle room!
And that’s a highly salient point that the British Christian community (the whole majority of them) must make clear.
Halal food has indeed been offered to a false god, and to eat it is like receiving communion when you don’t believe in the miracle of the mass.
Would you mind posting that verse?