A survey of over 30,000 Muslims suggests an emphatic drop of 66% in potential Labour votes if a General Election were to be held tomorrow, from 71% to just 5%.
The survey, by MEND and Muslim Census, also showed the Conservative vote dropping from 9% to just 0.6% amongst survey participants.
All respondents claimed the change in voting intention is a reaction to events in Israel and Palestine.
Over the past few weeks both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, as well as all their front-bench officials, have made their support for Israel crystal clear. Muslim Census said across the UK Muslims have remained alert to this apparent disregard for the Palestinian struggle.
And their survey found that almost all Muslims (98%) have a negative view of how the Labour and Conservative Party have responded.
The majority of respondents stated that their votes will move away to one of the following: abstaining to vote, independent candidates and the Green Party.
Muslim Census said: “Following events in Israel and Palestine, where innocent lives have been lost on both sides, the British public have taken note of how our two major parties have responded. People up and down the country have especially taken note of what Labour Mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby, described as a lack of ‘sympathy for the plight of Palestinians.’
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“There has been a consistent and unsettling message shared by our political leaders which is that Israel has the right to defend itself with impunity, despite contravening International Law. Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, emphasised this speaking on LBC Radio when he stated Israel had the ‘right’ to cut off water, electricity and aid to Gaza – violating international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions.
“Rishi Sunak has voiced his ‘unequivocal support’ for Israel and has visited Jewish communities in the UK to share his sympathies. The near 5,000 lives lost, and continued suffering, on the Palestinian side seemingly do not require the same level of thought or care.”
Muslim Census added: “The Muslim vote has the potential to swing several seats across the UK as MEND have previously found. It seems the possibility of the Muslim vote having a deciding impact is now likelier than ever before.
“More broadly, it suggests that the Muslim electorate, who have historically aligned themselves with Labour, have greater and more complex political interests and needs that cannot be assumed to align with any political party and thus Muslims can no longer be subject to political complacencies. In any case, with a 6.5% share of the British population, the youngest age profile of all religious groups, and given their concentration in inner city conurbations, it is clear the political and electoral implications will be far reaching.”
Meanwhile, MEND said such findings should hardly be a surprise for Labour, considering the widespread revulsion among Muslims toward comments made by the party’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer, on October 11 when he claimed that “Israel has the right” to cut off power and water from Gaza in self-defence.
“While these Labour figures lamented the deaths caused to Israeli civilians by Hamas’ October 7 attack, there was little mention given to the staggeringly high number of innocent souls who have perished as a consequence of Israel unleashing its war machine on the beleaguered 2.3 million residents of Gaza.
“The results of this survey should give cause for pause to a political establishment that seems determined to uncritically throw its support behind Israeli state brutality, despite the mounting UN-documented evidence of war crimes against Palestinians. Now, mainstream parties, and Labour specifically, will have to reckon with the fact that doing so will come with a significant cost at the ballot box.
“In order to show British Muslims that it takes their concerns seriously, Labour must show its moral backbone and stand up to Israeli war crimes against Palestinians. Both the Labour and Conservative leaderships should call for an immediate ceasefire, full access to all humanitarian aid and a condemnation of Israeli war crimes.”
