The Alliance Party has accepted an endorsement from an online Muslim lobby group known as ‘The Muslim Vote,’ whose policies, including conditional LGBT education, often clash with those of the party. This group endorses candidates based on their alignment with its views on foreign policy, the NHS, and education, having grown from opposition to the Labour Party’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In early June, ‘The Muslim Vote’ endorsed Stephen Farry as its preferred candidate for the North Down constituency. More recently, Alliance leader Naomi Long, representing East Belfast, and Lagan Valley candidate Sorcha Eastwood received the group’s endorsement.
The lobby group actively campaigns on the Gaza conflict but also promotes domestic policies, particularly in education, that diverge from the Alliance Party’s stance on relationship and sex education (RSE).
‘The Muslim Vote’ supports candidates whose policies align with its demands, including a call for cultural and religious sensitivity in LGBT education, particularly in areas with significant religious populations. This includes advocating for parental consultation in RSE teaching, a stance that conflicts with the Alliance Party’s push for a standardized, inclusive, and evidence-based RSE curriculum.
The News Letter queried the Alliance Party on whether it welcomes or rejects these endorsements and if the party or candidates sought the group’s support. A party spokesperson clarified that neither the party nor the candidates had sought the endorsement but did not reject it, stating that Alliance does not seek endorsements and that voter choice is a personal matter.
‘The Muslim Vote’ has issued 18 demands to Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer to regain Muslim support lost over his stance on Gaza. Among these demands is the requirement for cultural and religious sensitivity in LGBT education.
In England, tensions between LGBT rights and conservative Muslim views have sparked conflicts, notably at Birmingham’s Anderton Park school, where protests against LGBT teaching led to a court-ordered ban on noisy demonstrations. While ‘The Muslim Vote’ was not involved in these protests, the incident highlights the friction between conservative Muslim opinions and LGBT rights.
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The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party has raised questions about the Alliance Party’s acceptance of ‘The Muslim Vote’s’ endorsement, pointing out potential conflicts between the party’s support for trans rights and its representation of Muslim interests.
‘The Muslim Vote’ also campaigns for the removal of the “archaic ‘spiritual influence'” offense from statute, which aims to prevent clergy from instructing worshippers on voting. This issue gained attention in 2014 when Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets in London, was removed for exerting undue spiritual influence on Muslim Bangladeshi voters.
Recently, a dossier reported by The Sunday Telegraph revealed messages circulating in Leicester’s Muslim community, with religious leaders urging support for specific candidates. ‘The Muslim Vote’ backs various ex-Labour Party figures, including former Derby North MP Chris Williamson, who hosts a program on the Iranian-backed PressTV and is deputy leader of George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain.
The News Letter reached out to ‘The Muslim Vote’ for a response regarding claims that its education policies are anti-LGBT but received no response by the time of publication.
