The Green Party has been accused of “weaponising religious identity” for votes following their by-election win in Gorton and Denton.
Speaking to GB News, political commentator Khadija Khan hit out at candidate Hannah Spencer’s election campaign video, which was entirely in Urdu, declaring the “weaponising” happened in “plain sight”.
The Greens have sparked outrage and allegations of “cheating and sectarianism” after Ms Spencer secured victory with 14,980 votes, leaving Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin in second place with 10,578 votes.
Labour’s candidate Angeliki Stogia placed third with 9,364 votes, while Charlotte Cadden of the Conservatives lagged behind in fourth with just 706 votes.
Delivering her verdict on the video and election win, Ms Khan told GB News: “It’s becoming more and more typical for politicians in Britain to whip up religious sentiment to win over Muslim wards, and this has been happening cowardly for so long by the Labour Party.
“This time it happened in plain sight, rather unabashedly. So I think there should be no doubt about it that this victory is, in reality, is Islamic sectarianism that has won in Gordon and Denton’s by-election.”
Criticising the Greens’ election strategy, she added: “The Green Party seems to have adopted an election strategy, that is modelled after the brutal and theocratic Iranian regime.
Khadija Khan has hit out at the Green Party for ‘weaponising identity politics’ following their by-election win
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GB NEWS / PA
“They were tapping into the grievances of the people during their campaign. Unsurprisingly, they used the issue of Gaza as a bargaining chip to win Muslim votes, all thanks to years of campaigning on the part of Islamic organisation to build a theocratic voting base by weaponising religious identity.
“This is sinister and will have dire consequence for our secular democracy. How shameful that we in Britain seem to be going down the same path as Iran, embracing theocratic rhetoric in our supposedly fair and free elections?”
Questioned by host Dawn Neesom on the allegations of “family voting” at the by-election, Ms Khan said it would be “naive” to “underestimate” the influence of communities on voting.
She explained: “I think it would be very naive to underestimate the influence of religious and cultural coercion in Muslim communities here in Britain. This includes intimidation, manipulation, blackmail and coercion.
One of the Green Party’s campaign videos for the Gorton and Denton by-election used Urdu captioning | X/GREEN PARTY
“You can go to any area with significant numbers of Muslim voters – women walking down the street, especially those who are with their main family members, would not engage with you specifically on politics. They would tell you to speak with their husband, father, son or brother this as if they deal with this stuff.
“It seems like they have no idea at all how to exercise their right toward as an individual. Not as a part of the family, not as a part of the community, not as a part of the imam, but merely as an individual.”
Accusing the Islamic organisation of attempting to “punish Labour” for “not supporting Gaza”, the commentator told GB News: “I would say Islamic organisation have long been running these campaigns to punish Labour for not supporting their stance on Gaza.
“I think these kind of demands are sinister in a vibrant democracy such as ours, they are simply part of a particular religious political agenda. The goal seems to be to disrupt conventional electoral politics and create parties that prioritise religious identity over secular democracy.”
Khadija Khan told GB News that the UK must ‘move past the insidious and polarising identity politics’
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GB NEWS
She made clear: “I think it is time for British politicians to move past this polarising ethno-religious and identity politics and focus on the country’s most pressing issues, and I would say that we would never allow any political party to run their campaign on ethno-national agenda.
“However we are witnessing the insidious normalisation of ethno-religious agendas which are supporting British democratic values.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said of the by-election result: “Reform has today reported the many cases of ‘family voting’ to the electoral commission and the police.
“What was witnessed yesterday is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas.
“If this is what was happening at polling stations just imagine the potential for coercion with postal votes. If action isn’t taken now, then we will ensure it is after the next General Election.”