Labour struggling for vital Muslim votes in UK by-election as George Galloway seeks to poach voters

Five Muslim groups in Batley and Spen warn party their votes are ‘taken for granted’

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer with Batley and Spen by-election candidate Kim Leadbeater as the party faces concerns from Muslim voters. Getty

The UK Labour Party is struggling to hold on to vital Muslim votes ahead of a by-election in the seat once held by murdered Member of Parliament Jo Cox.

Despite the party fielding Ms Cox's sister Kim Leadbeater as its candidate, a recent poll put Labour six points behind Boris Johnson's Conservative Party.

Five Muslim groups in the Batley and Spen constituency have written an open letter to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warning him the party was taking their “loyalty and votes” for granted.

Flowers surround a picture of Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament Square, London, in 2016. Getty

They called for urgent action to tackle Islamophobia and for the party to speak out against the treatment of Palestinians.

The letter came as former Labour politician George Galloway was using his support of Palestine to gain support in the area for his alternative Workers Party of Britain.

“For over 40 years, Muslim communities throughout the United Kingdom have supported the Labour Party loyally. In Batley and Spen particularly, through different leaders, times and political climates, our community has been among the most steadfast Labour voters anywhere in the country,” the Muslim groups led by Batley and Dewsbury Friends of Al Aqsa said.

Politician George Galloway is set to stand in the Batley and Spen by-election.

“We are now in serious doubt over whether we can continue with our support.

“Unfortunately, it seems that while we have been proud to support the Labour Party, for a long time the Labour Party has not been proud of our support. Put simply, our votes and voices have been taken for granted.

“The issues facing Muslims in our constituency are vast and deep rooted. These include concerns regarding the rising tide of Islamophobia, the racism inherent in the Prevent duty, as well as ongoing international crises in Palestine and Kashmir.

“If we are to continue supporting and fighting for the Labour Party, our expectation is for Labour to be on our side. In particular, to speak and campaign on these issues.”

Despite Mr Johnson's party losing a seat in the South of England

to the Liberal Democrats last week, his party is on course to win in Batley and Spen, which has been held by Labour since 1997.

“The first poll of the Batley and Spen by-election has the Conservatives with a six-point lead over Labour, and on course to win the seat from Labour,” pollsters Survation said.

“In our phone poll, the Conservatives are in the lead on 47 per cent, up 11 per cent from its 2019 general election vote share, and Labour on 41 per cent, similar to its 43 per cent winning share at the general election.

Survation said Mr Galloway’s party was in third place with 6 per cent of the vote.

A Labour source was quoted in a Sunday newspaper claiming the party was “haemorrhaging votes among Muslim voters” due to Mr Starmer’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism within the ranks.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner promised an investigation into the comments after the Labour Muslim Network labelled them as “patently vile” Islamophobia.

She said the comments were "completely unacceptable" and "not condoned or sanctioned in any way by the party".

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson assists in an engine repair at an automotive shop during a visit to Kirklees College Springfield Sixth Form Centre in Dewsbury, northern England. AFP

"The Labour Party clearly has a racism issue," Ghanem Nusiebeh, chairman of Muslims Against Anti-Semitism told The National.

“It has long been accused of deep-rooted anti-Semitism among its supporters and members but that doesn’t mean that Labour is a friendly party to Muslims.

He said the party needed to examine its “racism issues and focus on promoting British values of tolerance, rather than stigmatising whole communities”.

The Muslim Council of Britain said Batley and Spen was one of 15 seats where Muslim voters could have a significant effect and estimated 8,600 would vote next week.

Labour won the Batley and Spen seat in 2019 with a slim majority of 3,525 and with Mr Galloway seeking to entice its voters, the by-election is expected to be closely run.