This year, the U.K. general election has been one of the most interesting in history for Britain’s Muslim community. While we have made gradual improvements election-on-election for a long time, this one signaled a turning point in Muslims’ political literacy and influence.
There were, of course, key political and social issues that influenced Muslims to engage, whether actively by voting or passively by abstaining: the genocide in Gaza and the desire to "punish" MPs and parties that enabled it; the abysmal state of the National Health Service (NHS); and the lurch toward increasingly far-right and xenophobic politics to name a few. But perhaps the starkest difference between previous elections and this one was the indelible mark left by the Muslim Vote campaign, also called “TMV,” where, for the first time, the Muslim community around the country mobilized and galvanized for several shared objectives. First, to build political capacity in the Muslim community to take politics more seriously. Second, to empower the community through education and guidance. Third, to unite the Muslim community with a shared vision for how to vote. Fourth, to penalize the two dynastic parties, Labour and the Conservatives, for their stance toward the Gaza genocide. Fifth, to influence discourse and policy on a range of issues related to the well-being of the entire society, such as the NHS, education and the welfare system.
The strategies to achieve these goals included robust research into the statistical significance of the Muslim electorate in various constituencies and working with local communities for strategic endorsements of independent candidates – as well as pro-Palestine candidates from smaller parties such as the Liberal Democrats and the Greens – where the Muslim electorate is abundant enough to make a difference to the final result. They also include effective social media and grassroots campaigns to reach deep into and across the community.
There can be no doubt that the strategy paid off. The July 4 snap election took place just six weeks after it was initially announced by the then Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the result was more than impressive. Fifty of the Muslim Vote (TMV) endorsed pro-Palestine candidates were elected to Parliament, despite limited resources compared to the campaign war chests of the two main parties, let alone minimal time to organize.
The significance of the election to Parliament of 50 anti-genocide MPs – both independent and from smaller parties – cannot be understated. These legislators represent areas with large Muslim communities, for instance, in northern England like Blackburn and West Yorkshire or the Midlands cities of Birmingham and Leicester, among others.
By making opposition to genocide and colonialism important parts of their campaigns, these new MPs displayed a strikingly ethics-focused outlook. Better yet, their many voters of conscience, both Muslim and non-Muslim, sent the same message at the ballot box, indicating that this mindset has taken a powerful hold at the grassroots level in Britain, as well as in Parliament.
But, could there be any additional benefits to this new morality-based impetus in British politics other than the already deeply praiseworthy aim of making both the Conservatives and the now governing Labour Party reconsider their shameful stances on the genocide waged against the Palestinians?
The answer is a resounding yes. Türkiye – a country renowned worldwide for its ethical foreign policy and humanitarianism – now has a great opportunity to strengthen political, economic and cultural ties with the new British Parliament, especially with these independent and smaller party members.
Fresh opportunities for citizen diplomacy and an organic increase in business, cultural and educational ties, to name just a few, are all within reach.
But where could the two sides start? That’s easy. They should look for commonalities that these ethically voting constituencies share with Turkish cities and build relationships from there. Imagine, for instance, if England’s former mill town Blackburn could be twinned with Türkiye's Denizli, based on their historic links to the textile trade. Leicester, too, could sister up with Türkiye's Eskişehir. Imagine the research partnerships that could develop between the city’s world-class university and one or more of Eskişehir’s three excellent institutions.
Moreover, Türkiye’s illustrious Islamic credentials, both historical and current, and the significant Muslim populations of the many anti-genocide voting British constituencies bring additional advantages. Muslims visiting from either country can feel confident in the knowledge that many people around them, whether working or studying, share their values and carry out the same religious obligations, from daily prayers to Ramadan fasts and celebrating the two Eids.
Supporting such links could offer immense short- and long-term potential. Student exchanges, school trips, tourism, sporting and cultural interactions could empower the youth in both countries and foster the next generation of confident, well-rounded and worldly citizens. Such youngsters can then grow into future entrepreneurs and professionals who drive investment and a higher quality of life for all in their local communities while retaining mutually beneficial ties with their friends abroad.
It is among such people that dynamic leaders are found – leaders who can improve the lives of those around them at home while maintaining an ethical foreign policy abroad that stands up in unwavering support for Palestine and offers real solutions for enduring global problems.
In the U.K., we should also remember that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a major post-Brexit trade deal with Türkiye back in 2020 to expand it in the future. For its part, Ankara sincerely supported closer ties with London then and continues to hold that view now.
Both countries must work to strengthen this relationship and increase understanding and cooperation. What could be a better way to enhance these shared bonds than the common ethics and values of the highest order that witnessed a resurgence at the last U.K. election? As the Quran reminds us, “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
