The general election is nearly here [Thursday 4th July 2024 to be precise] and all the parties want your vote – especially counting on the Muslim vote. Not surprisingly, as the Muslim population in the UK has grown in the last decade by 75%.
So, have you been listening? Watching? Learning?
Just like any general election the leaders are fighting for your vote to secure the next 4 years. But this time is different.
How is it different you may ask?
Because this time we are aiming to completely shake the system!
The Genocide in Gaza and the party leaders’ stances are reasons to divest from their leadership and parties.
This year’s election is more about what we can do for others rather than ourselves. As always, they say what you want to hear, but their actions consistently contradict public opinion.
With over 2 million of us protesting and boycotting in the UK, the government has stood against us and instead criminalised our acts of humanity and free speech. They have stood only for their own desires – money.
The Israeli lobby and pro-Israeli individuals have paid some of the Conservatives, Labour members and others to stand with them – up to 180 MPs. This blood money is what is running this country and making decisions that go against our rights and wants.
We are viewed as a democratic country, yet when it comes to it as we have seen time and time again, the people will keep shouting and the MPs and leaders will do what they are told to do by the lobby and other invested interests.
That is why this vote in this election is so important.
They are depending on our votes, the pro-Palestinians vote, the Muslim vote.
Over the last year we have stood there and told them that they will and have lost our vote and now it’s time to show it.
Put our words into action.
The Labour Party:
The Muslim vote is and has been the one major thing that has kept Labour in power. Since 1981 they have garnered the Muslim/Asian/minority vote and held on to it tightly. But with that they have also abused us. They have taken advantage of us and our commitment towards them. From waging the 20 year long war in Iraq, bombing Syria and par-taking in the destabilisation of Afghanistan. To then turn the Muslim community into the ‘terrorists’ and to be under scrutiny and surveillance through the Prevent Duty Law during their coalition with The Liberal Democrats. The Labour party have used our identity against us in more ways than one till today.
Unfortunately the once left winged party is now a very right-winged party. The MPs at the top with Kier Starmer are forcing many of the left-winged MP’s out of the party. They are supressing any form of freedom of speech when it comes to global politics. Even though there are a few great MP’s in the Labour Party that still follow the leftist viewpoint, these MP’s are not being allowed to get further up the career ladder. This idea that Labour under Kier Starmer is a blue tie disguised as red shouldn’t be taken lightly. With over 41 of the MP’s taking money from Israeli donors and The Israeli Lobby1, backing that with the adamant stance that Kier Starmer has taken during this entire genocide of even firing his MP’s if they voted for a Ceasefire. He has only begun to begrudgingly shift his voice now as he has realised how important the pro-Palestinian and Muslim vote is to him and his parties success. However we cannot forget that as a Human Rights lawyer, his words on October 2023 when asked on LBC if it was right for Israel to cut off water and power to 2 million people in Gaza, he replied with:
“…Israel has a right to defend herself in this ongoing situation…” – Kier Starmer
This entire retroact of now being on the side of Muslims, a sad attempt to understand their situation in the UK – by creating a video with London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan on Eid Al-Adha 20242 and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – however with the stipulation that both sides need to agree to a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ or ‘humanitarian ceasefire’. There is still no calls to agree that Israel is to blame for this ongoing genocide and no scrutiny towards them for their actions.
The Liberal Democrats:
The Liberal Democrats have been the third party in the UK only coming close to leadership through coalitions with both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. However whenever they have come into some form of leadership they have not shown any assertiveness.
Instead the laws passed whilst under coalitions have been ideas presented by Labour or Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have willingly backed them with little to no changes. One major law they backed was for the surveillance of Muslims through the Prevent Duty act. They also pushed for the sale of Royal Mail which was started in 2010 by Business Secretary Vince Cable and was finalised in 2013. Privatising national infrastructure of the United Kingdom for very little money is a speciality of these top parties. From Gold reserves, the Railway to attempting to rid us of the NHS. The question here is, if the Liberal Democrats come into power will they back any more privatisations within their coalition.
From their track record the Liberals are very liberal. They have a neutral stance in most things and you only really hear from them when an election is announced. Otherwise they do not push their stances or ideas as much as the Reds and Blues. When it came to Gaza, even though they backed a ceasefire they did not vocalise it like the Greens or SNP. They have written their stance in their manifesto but can you trust them completely when you know that Ed Davey the leader of the Liberal Democrats has previously been funded by Israeli organisations or individuals. 3 Declassified has a list of all MPs from the various parties whom have ever taken funding and many names will surprise you.
The Conservatives:
Over the last 14 years the Conservatives have proven time and time again that they haven’t cared for anything or anyone other than themselves. They have implemented more laws against Muslims, immigrants, refugees and pro-Palestinians than any other party.
Being in power during major global and local shifts, they had many chances to change the status quo. Instead they opted to do the opposite and stand against the public viewpoint and voice. They have time and again forced laws that were seen as inhumane through the courts i.e. The Rwanda Bill – where immigrants and refugees would be sent to Rwanda even though they had faced hardships that the UK had taken part in to create in their own countries. By paying Rwanda to take refugees off our hands the UK government is inflicting itself in the conflict in neighbouring Congo. Which is in conflict with Rwanda and is being attacked by armed groups, displacing millions and causing severe instability within Congo.
Like Labour, the Conservatives have not called for a Ceasefire in Gaza. They have stood their ground and shown that money trumps lives and that no matter what happens they will always back Israel – an apartheid state. Leaving millions of people in the UK to protest on a weekly basis, taking action against the state, arms companies as well as boycotting. The pressure of this is affecting the current government as they are enacting laws or attacks onto individuals for using their voice against inhumanity. A current example being Marieha Hussain and her Coconut placard4.
Over the last few months there has been an interest in creating a conscription in the UK in order for us to join a non-voluntary armed forces once you turn 18. Backed by the military, the Government is pushing this agenda to influence recruitment from minority communities in order to help us ‘integrate and assimilate’ into the nation. Ultimately increasing ‘National Pride’ within communities who seem to be resistant.
After the initial backlash of this a few months ago, the government dropped it. However now with the elections looming, Rishi Sunak announced that if he wins he will be implementing a law of ‘National Service’ that will make it mandatory for all 18 year olds to take part in either; the armed forces, cyber security, military or NHS. If the 18 year olds refuse then they will given a non-criminal record. However how can we guarantee that over time this will not turn into a prison sentence for a few days, fines for parents or worse.
This is just another way of conscription onto a generation that they know will not fight willingly. They will not join the armed forces willingly. The forcefulness of making these young adults do the dirty work of the rich and governments who cannot stop meddling in other countries for their resources, power and ego. The addition of the NHS sounds promising, however when you look at it with a different eye you will realise that this is also a ploy for the agenda. They will need youngsters with medical skills; field medics, nurses, people who will be adept in quick medical oriented situations.
“The UK has generations of young people who have not had the opportunities they deserve and this measure would help unity society in an increasingly uncertain world” – Rishi Sunak May 2024
None of this is for national pride or helping the young to understand how important the NHS is. This is all to create pawns for the country that has a lack of British values. A nation no one is proud of due to our deep dirty history and present atrocities. Which youngster or child growing up today would want to serve a country that was and is still living off the blood of others around the world without ever being held accountable for its actions.
Should we consider Reform?
Simple answer – no.
What can you do?
There are a few ways you can go about with this general election voting.
Follow campaigns like @themuslimvote and see who they are endorsing. This isn’t just limited to Muslim voters, anyone can access this and read up on your local MP. See who is being endorsed and supported regardless of party and vote for them in the upcoming election.
The idea behind this campaign is to recognise all the MPs that have stood for a ceasefire in Gaza and have worked tirelessly to achieve that regardless of which party they belong to.
So does this mean we just vote for the Conservatives, Labour or Liberal Democrats? No.
This is how you tactically vote. We need as many MPs in parliament with the same stance regardless of political party background. That way when it comes to the peoples voice they will vote accordingly and actually speak for their constituents on important global and local matters.
What if we have no MP endorsed by The Muslim Vote in our area?
If that becomes the case then vote for the Green party or your local Independent representative after doing research on your Independent MP.
Is voting Green or an Independent really a wasted vote?
To all those that say it is a wasted vote – how do you think revolution takes place? How do you think we have made changes to our political sphere before?
We do so by taking a risk and working together to make a bigger impact. We have proved in the past how important our vote is when the Asian community and minority communities came together to vote out the Conservatives in 1981. Before that they wouldn’t have thought it was possible but working together made it happen. At the time people would have questioned if it would have been a wasted vote but without trying the country wouldn’t have known the true outcome.
If you believe that voting Labour tactfully will rid us of the Conservatives, you may be correct; however – you will be implementing a red tie disguised as a blue. Labour at this moment is no different from Conservatives, their stance on Gaza has proven this. Closer to home however, Keir Starmer is like Rishi Sunak, he is far removed from reality and the working classes. His understanding on what we as the general public are going through everyday is not relatable to him. Further to this he is silencing anyone in his party that stands for the truth or vocalises injustices. So in layman’s terms – voting Labour is like voting for the Conservatives. No matter how much you believe their manifesto is better they will not do anything to better our daily situations.
For this reason it is very important to know who is standing in your area. The least we can do is create enough chaos so there is a coalition party. This allows us as the public to still have a solid voice in parliament. Without the coalitions approval, neither leading party – Labour or Conservatives will be able to push through their one sided agendas.
4th of July 2024
E-day. As long as you’re registered to vote then vote. Do not withhold your vote and believe you have done a good thing for humanity. Walk, drive or run to the polling station and put the X next to the name you believe will make a difference for humanity more than for your individual self.
Take a read of the Manifestos which I have linked below. Look at the way your MPs have voted in the past and what their stance on the Gaza ceasefire is.
These elections are a reminder that there are bigger things than just us. Our politics and choices affect the world, not just what happens in the UK or in our own homes. We need to be strategic but also understand, how much is going to change in the UK in the next 4 years? The entire country has been crippled for far too long and there is not going to be a quick fix – like you are being promised. Whereas our stance on weapons, ceasefires, taking part in wars/genocides outside the UK will make a tremendous difference to others across the world as well as your own conscience.
It’s time we put our words into action and show them that this country is still a democracy.
Election Links:
What stance does your MP have on the Gaza Ceasefire: The Guardian Post
How has your MP voted in the past – Type your postcode and search: https://www.theyworkforyou.com
Instagram accounts to follow: @simplepolitics, @themuslimvote
More Related articles: UK Educational Guidance and Palestine
- https://www.declassifieduk.org/israel-lobby-funded-a-quarter-of-british-mps/ ↩︎
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84W1BIu-Gr0 ↩︎
- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vQJ34ufwob2saDo1Zjhx2DM6Rp1Vsx9AHdIEAVtQidI/edit?pli=1&gid=82730603#gid=82730603 ↩︎
- https://www.cage.ngo/articles/pregnant-mother-charged-for-holding-satirical-coconut-placard ↩︎
So well said. Thank you for this article. It’s made me decide who to and who not to vote for.