Muslims in the UK: Muslims In Britain prepare to flex their political muscle

Don’t blame me… I voted for… me!

With a strong economy, a Bush victory in the US, and much of the Iraq quagmire (the perception of it, that is) behind him, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain should have had an easier time convincing Britain that he should have a fourth term in office when general elections are held here on May 5. However, British Muslims were strong Labour voters in the last election and they are not feeling too keen this time. With a host of old and new parties aggressively courting their vote, which due to voting blocks in key areas could make a dramatic difference, British Muslims are beginning to coordinate their political efforts in different ways (despite the efforts of a few).

Although the Labour and Conservative parties have long dominated the British political scene, Britain’s Liberal Democrats and leader Charles Kennedy have gained the attention of many disgruntled Muslim voters, scoring in the low to mid 20 percentage points in polls (compared with the mid and high 30’s for the Tories and Labour respectively). “I voted Labour in 2001. But now I have to switch to the Liberal Democrats. Many Muslims feel the same,” said one mosque-goer.

The Lib Dems have capitalised on their Iraq war stance (both Labour and the Conservatives supported it) and have courted Muslims heavily, especially in districts where leading Labour candidates (especially Foreign Secretary Jack Straw) are vulnerable. According to the Daily Telegraph, Muslim leaders believe their votes can swing results in some 20 constituencies in the coming elections. Speaking of swinging, a Labour candidate in London’s East End, pro-Iraq war MP Oona King, was pelted with eggs during a campaign stop by Muslim protestors.

King is opposed in her district by ex-Labour MP and staunch Iraq war opponent George Galloway, who formed the Respect party and is seeking to woo Muslims from Labour as well (and Muslim candidates). “I think we should have a war on drugs instead of a war on Muslims,” said Galloway at a debate with King (where the Tory and Lib Dem candidates were both Muslim). At the other end of the spectrum, neo-conservative parties such as Robert Kilroy-Silk’s Veritas party have found new recruits through anti-Muslim xenophobia and from the embattled British National Party, mirroring the rise of Muslim influence by raising issues of immigration and honour killings.

But the biggest surprise of all could be a mirror of Muslim experiences in recent US elections, where support for a pro-Muslim third party was perceived as helping a more hostile party come to power. Who says you can’t make a difference?

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.