Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party secured a landslide victory in the recent British, but significant upsets occurred as pro-Gaza independents gained traction against them. Notably, five independent candidates advocating for Gaza won parliamentary seats, signaling a shift in the Muslim vote away from Labour.
Labour’s vote share has dropped by an average of 11 points in constituencies where more than 10 percent of the population is Muslim.
Jonathan Ashworth, previously a member of the Labour Shadow Cabinet, lost his Leicester South seat to independent Shockat Adam. Adam’s campaign was heavily centered on Gaza.
Ashworth, who had a 22,000-vote majority in 2019, has previously argued that multiculturalism has not failed in Britain. He said he was disappointed with the result.
“She crossed the Atlantic, and she made a speech about multiculturalism as a failure”
Jonathan Ashworth expresses his anger at Suella Braverman’s comments about “failed” multiculturalism in Leicester, and that he’s proud to represent the city#bbcqt https://t.co/lHwEG9q8Gp pic.twitter.com/0rhhCh9XMW
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) October 5, 2023
In Birmingham, Labour’s Khalid Mahmood was narrowly defeated by pro-Gaza independent Ayoub Khan. Similarly, Labour’s Heather Iqbal lost to independent Iqbal Mohamed, and Labour’s Kate Hollern was unseated by independent Adnan Hussain, who dedicated his victory to Gaza.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also won a seat campaigning as an independent on a pro-Gaza platform.
Labour candidates in many areas with large Muslim populations experienced reduced majorities or only narrowly retained their seats. Health Secretary Wes Streeting secured his seat by just 528 votes against British Palestinian independent Leanne Mohamad.
