Tajammul Gurmani:
Manchester:
Muslim vote bank has divided between Labour and Green, and recent surveys show that Reform is winning with a close margin during the by-election in Gorton and Denton constituency in Manchester. This seat became vacant after the resignation of Labour Member of Parliament Andrew Gwynne, citing health problems, the by-election for this seat will be held on 26 February 2026.
Manchester, the capital of the North West, is always considered a Labour Party stronghold, where elected MPs, Lord Mayor and councillors belong to the Labour Party. A large Muslim community residing here has always played an important role during past elections. It is the first time that the Labour Party is looking weak in this by-election. Political pundits say that there are certain reasons behind the weak position of the Labour Party. “The Labour Party chose a weak candidate, Angeliki Stogia, while Mayor of Greater Manchester and former MP Andy Burnham and Eamonn O’Brien, Leader of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, along with some Muslim councillors including Cllr Abid Latif Chohan and Cllr Rab Nawaz Akbar, were also key players in the candidate race. However, finally Cllr Angeliki Stogia was eventually selected as the Labour official candidate for the by-election.” The Muslim vote bank has always been considered an important factor in parliamentary elections in Manchester, but in this recent by-election Muslims are not happy with the performance and policies of the Labour Party. Muslim political circles say that Muslims are unhappy with the Labour Government’s role in the Gaza war. According to their opinion, the current regime has not favoured the Palestinian stance, and it has started cracking down against people who were protesting in favour of the Palestinian cause. A recent incident happened when Angeliki Stogia and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Lucy Powell faced a setback during a recent election campaign event. Lucy Powell was invited to a Pakistani community dinner at a local hotel on Stockport Road when pro-Palestine groups gathered outside the venue with Palestinian flags and anti-Labour placards and chanted slogans against Labour policies towards Gaza. The organisers also called the police to control the crowd, and some protesters entered the function and started protesting inside.
Muslim political circles say that they are not supporting the Labour Party in the by-election and that they will back the Green Party, while a large number of Muslim voters may not visit polling stations as a protest. On the other hand, some Muslim religious clerics and mosque committees are openly backing the Green Party candidate, Cllr Hannah Spencer. The Workers Party of Britain, led by George Galloway, did not stand a candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, stating that they took this decision in the best interest of working-class voters by helping to prevent splitting the vote against the right-wing Reform and Labour. It is also an important factor that Cllr Shahbaz Sarwar is representing the Workers Party, and insiders say that the party is also backing the Green Party candidate.
This correspondent also discussed with local Muslim leaders why the Labour Party is facing trouble in the recent by-election. Nasrallah Khan Mughal, former councillor and local Labour Party leader, said: “This is a by-election, and we cannot expect Muslims to vote for a single party. This is not about division; everybody has the right to choose, but I will cast my vote for Labour. The mosque is not a proper place for political campaigning or voting, and no single party should be supported from that platform. Muslims should avoid using the mosque platform for politics. I was elected three times as a councillor of Manchester City Council (MCC) but never went to mosques or shops for campaigning because I believe that religion and mosques should not be used for political purposes, even in this by-election. I am chair of Quba Mosque, Stockport Road, and we do not allow the Green Party to distribute leaflets during the Jummah congregation,” he observed. Another Muslim community leader, who is a trustee at Cheadle Mosque and supports the Green Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The only realistic option for Muslim voters to keep out Reform is to vote for the Green Party. However, there is a real danger that the Muslim vote will either not turn out in sufficient numbers or will be split between the Greens and Labour. Whilst there is a real dislike of Labour amongst most Muslim voters, there has been a strong push to support Labour from Muslim councillors and the MP. This will likely secure some Muslim votes. Analysis of all available odds indicates that the Greens are strong favourites, with Reform a close second and Labour a distant third. Based on this data, the only way to keep out Reform will be for Muslims to vote for the Greens.”
He also stressed that local leaders should educate the Muslim community on the particular importance of voting in this by-election, which will have a significant national impact irrespective of whether the Greens or Reform win here.
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