My Thoughts on a Crazy UK General Election

Our 2024 general election has come to an end with some staggering outcomes, though not unanticipated ones. Seats have been lost and gained by unexpected parties and our future remains somewhat hazy despite the changes. Though I often refrain from politics on this blog (I nevertheless anticipate there will be more to come from here on out), there is much I wish to say about these results that we are likely to discuss for decades to come. Elements of separatism and ideology will be discussed in conjunction with my summary of the wildest results. I hope this brief post will be of interest to my readers from across the world and will mark a turning point in our country.

That's Sir Prime Minister to You

The big story of this election was, of course, Labour's insurmountable landslide, securing over 400 seats in their best result since 1997. Also comparable to their 1997 defeat, the Conservatives lost nearly 250 seats—a staggering blow, though not a surprising one. Although the expected outcome given the polls, the turnout remains a major factor that needs to be considered given that only around 60% of people actually voted, essentially handing Labour a protest victory. Among this new red wave, the Tories only gained one constituency, that of Leicester East under Shivani Raja. 

My own constituency remained a Conservative stronghold with my local Tory MP losing 26% of her support to Labour and Reform respectively. Moreover, the city of my old university, Portsmouth, turned double Labour after Portsmouth North fell out of Penny Mordaunt's hands to Amanda Martin. Even the conservative fortress on the Isle of Wight has been shattered, the island being split in two between Labour and Tory. I guess Isle of Wight Festival goers are really banking on Starmer to cap the costs for festival tickets as he promised.

Not all Labour locations remained firmly under their hand, however. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ran as Independent in his home constituency of Islington North in London and took it from Labour. In a sea of red, Corbyn stands alone against his former party who removed him on the grounds of alleged anti-Semitism. Issues regarding Israel and the Labour party will be discussed in more depth below. That being said, Labour's new dominance is truly something to be marvelled at. Even SNP holdings in Scotland crumbled under Labour momentum, throwing the question of future Scottish Independence into question as a new northern Red Wall has been established in the wake of the Sturgeon controversies earlier this year.

Voter Exodus and Ballot Drama

Much should be said about the gains from other smaller parties. The LibDems did very well in the south, with North Devon to East Somerset declaring for Ed Davey's party in a mass revolt against the Tories. The Greens gained North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley as well as Bristol Central, having only dominated in Brighton up until now. Seeing so many parts of the country go in such disparate directions gives me a mixed feeling. On the one hand, we are finally seeing a diversification of the voting block with more independents and smaller parties taking over previous strongholds of Conservative control. On the other hand, it is indicative of how British politics is "breaking at the seams" as one commentator put it, with little agreement on what the major issues are, how to fix them, and who should be entrusted with that responsibility.

Nigel Farage's Reform UK party also swept the nation yesterday taking a few unprecedented victories in Ashfield, Boston and Skegness, Great Yarmouth, and Clacton (which fell to Farage himself). Due to the lack of proportional representation, however, the party only managed to obtain five seats in Parliament. This is in spite of the party's remarkable achievement in getting roughly 500,000 more votes than the LibDems, who have gained more than 60 seats across the country in their own new record. Certain conspiracy theorists online are using this to claim that the system is rigged against non-establishment parties, but I think turnout is more to blame for these kinds of results, as well as Farage's general unpopularity with many Brits for his instrumental role in Brexit. Still, this is to be interpreted as a victory for Reform as Farage is finally part of Parliament for the first time in his career. It is clear that widespread dissatisfaction with immigration policies (which have been at record highs since quarantine was lifted) have handed Reform a substantial platform for future wins. Farage is now an MP and will be making serious moves to push against Labour's immigration policies should Starmer fail to stop the small boat crossings. 

Speaking of Reform, the candidates for South Basildon and East Thurrock had to wait until Friday evening to receive their result in a hotly contested battle between Reform's James McMurdock and Labour's Jack Ferguson, allegedly due to mix-ups that required a recount. McMurdock secured Reform’s fifth constituency by just 0.3% of the vote. This pales, however, to the two recounts that were called for Inverness, Skye, and West Ross-shire with requests for extra security to ensure that the third count goes smoothly amid concerns of integrity. The count has only been finalised as of last night. Needless to say, today has been full of stories that will no doubt work their way into the history books with ease.

Muslim Voters Abandon Labour

It would be remiss of me, a student of religion, not to discuss the religious element to some of these new developments, particularly in the north where several independents seized constituencies with high Asian and Muslim populations. For example, Leicester South's Shockat Adam defeated Jonathan Ashworth in a major Labour upset. Elsewhere in Blackburn, Adnan Hussain defeated Labour's Kate Hollern whilst Iqbal Mohamed sent Labour packing in Dewsbury and Batley, ousting Heather Iqbal. Birmingham's Ayoub Khan also quit the LibDems to run as independent. It is remarkable to see such a sudden turning away from the traditional parties towards more grassroots individuals who undoubtedly have a better connection to the constituencies they have become a part of. Like the Reform successes outlined above, a slow move away from the legacy parties is apparently starting to take a firm hold in British politics.

That being said, it is likely that certain elements of Islamic sectarianism appears to be driving factors in voting these individuals in, with all four of them making a ceasefire in the war in Gaza their first and foremost concern in their pledges—an element that drove them from the major parties in the first place. They have, of course addressed other issues such as housing and healthcare, but what are the chances that these were the primary factors that resulted in their elections? Every candidate has something or other to say about fixing healthcare in their regions. Is it just a coincidence that the areas with the highest Muslim populations just happened to vote for the most outward and unapologetically pro-Gaza candidates? 

As was pointed out by Muslim author Ed Husain in his recent book Among the Mosques (2021), these locations are hotbeds for Islam in the UK where literalist readings of the Quran and calaphist culture runs deep in many of the mosques situated there. Do the independent candidates securing wins in these areas run the risk of courting the Islamist vote, especially in areas like Dewsbury where groups like Tableeghi Jamaat hold so much sway?  The lead perpetrator of the 7/7 bombing originated there. Only time will tell how British Muslims respond to these movements as geo-political events such as the war in Gaza continue to influence domestic issues.

This will be a day long remembered in British politics. Am I hopeful for the future? The clear influence of separatist mindsets operating in the north and the unlikely event of actual change taking place nag at the back of my mind. I can only hope that as someone who will be looking to get a house soon, that prices can go down, unity can emerge, and a brighter future is on the horizon for our sickly, stagnant nation.