MVSLIM Team
Over 400 Muslim councillors have been elected in England in the wake of the local elections that took place earlier this month.
According to data exclusively compiled by The Muslim News, approximately 443 Muslim councillors won a seat in their respected constituents after local elections saw a massive shift in Conservative representation. At least 70 per cent of councils in England had at least one Muslim candidate contesting for a seat on May 5th. In total, over 1,130 Muslim candidates ran in local elections in England, of which 296 men and 147 women successfully secured council seats.
So what areas saw the biggest rise in Muslim representation?
According to the data, The Muslim News reported that almost 60 per cent (256 councillors) of elected Muslim candidates contested London councils. Tower Hamlets had the highest number of Muslim candidates (102), 39 of whom were elected, thanks largely to the success of the newly formed local Aspire party headed by Lutfur Rahman.
If we break down that further, the capital also saw 13 Somali candidates (7 men and 6 women) elected and re-elected, bringing the number of Somali heritage councillors in the capital to 28.
In the North-West, 160 Muslims also ran for seats, 69 of which won in 16 different councils, the biggest rise in the country outside of the capital. They were closely followed by the West Midlands which came third for the highest number of Muslim candidates running for council seats in the country, with a total of 132. Of those, 43 won their respective seats.
Overall, it was a pretty good night for everyone, besides the Conservatives and in the wake of ‘Partygate’, a light-hearted title for a serious scandal that saw Tory MPs, including the Prime Minister himself throwing themselves a ‘wine and cheese’ party during the height of the COVID pandemic, what else did we expect? However, their fall from grace wasn’t too intense due to the consistent backing of Brexit-lovers in areas of London such as Bexley, Bromley and surprisingly, Harrow.
The Labour Party gained a few seats here and there but also failed to shine exceptionally on the night. However, other smaller represented parties such as the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, stole the limelight, both gaining a notable number of seats after the local elections.
While it’s nice to see people placing more faith in their Muslim leaders, the overall outlook of British politics is looking pretty bleak if I do say so myself. But if you don’t want to take it from me, take it from Phillip Inman at The Guardian.