Top Alliance candidates receive endorsement from pro-Gaza, anti-LGBT education Muslim lobby group

‘The Muslim Vote’ backs candidates that align with their policy requests on foreign policy, the NHS and education – and grew out of opposition to the Labour Party’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

In early June, the group endorsed Stephen Farry as the candidate its supporters should back in the North Down constituency.

More recently, Alliance leader and East Belfast hopeful Naomi Long and Lagan Valley candidate Sorcha Eastwood have been endorsed by the group.

It campaigns on the war in Gaza, but also has a raft of domestic policies on issues such as education – which go against the Alliance Party’s position on issues such as relationships and sex education.

Alliance has demanded a “standardised, inclusive and evidence-based” RSE curriculum in schools – and railed against the influence of religion in what children are taught.

The News Letter asked the Alliance Party if it, or its candidates, welcomed or rejected the endorsements – and whether either the party, or the candidates, had sought the endorsement of the group.

A spokesperson said neither the party nor the candidates had sought the endorsement – but did not reject the support.

They said Alliance “doesn’t seek endorsements” and “who individual people vote for or encourage people to vote for is a matter for them”.

The Muslim Vote has issued Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer with 18 demands in order to win back Muslim support lost due to his stance on Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

The pledges listed on the The Muslim Vote’s website single out education on gay and lesbian relationships and demand “cultural and religious sensitivity must be taken into account when discussing LGBT matters, particularly by schools in areas where the majority of the community are from a religious background.

“This should include proactive and meaningful parental consultation, particularly concerning issues such as the teaching of RSE”.

The conflict between LGBT rights and conservative Muslim opinion has caused friction in England, most notably when Muslim parents were banned from protesting against LGBT teaching at Anderton Park school in Birmingham.

In 2019 a judge permanently banned noisy demonstrations outside the primary school. Footage released by Birmingham City Council after the court judgment showed lead protester Shakeel Afsar introducing an imam, named in court as Mullah Bahm. He told protestors “There are paedophiles in there. This is a paedophilia agenda. What are you telling our children?”

The Muslim Vote was not involved in those protests.

The TUV say it raises questions for both Muslim Vote and the Alliance Party.

“How can Sorcha Eastwood answer questions from the women's rights group What is a Woman about biological male access to women's only spaces with a trite ‘Trans rights are human rights’ and still claim to represent the interests of Muslims?

The TUV spokesperson added that Alliance “likes everyone to believe they are the nice middle of the road party” but recent endorsements suggest otherwise.

The Muslim Vote also campaigns for the removal of “the archaic ‘spiritual influence’ offence from statute”.

The legislation is an attempt to stop abuses of authority by members of the clergy instructing worshippers how to vote.

In 2014, Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets in London, was removed after a judge ruled he has exerted “undue spiritual influence” on parts of the electorate – specifically voters from the Muslim Bangladeshi community.

At the weekend The Sunday Telegraph reported a dossier of messages which are being circulated among Leicester’s Muslim community, with religious leaders urging voters to get behind particular candidates.

The group’s X social media account backs a number of ex-Labour Party figures, such as the former Derby North MP Chris Williamson. He had said Labour had “given too much ground” when it faced allegations over its handling of antisemitism, but later said he “deeply regrets” the remarks.

​The News Letter asked The Muslim Vote for its response to the claim that its education policies are anti-LGBT.

• Ben Lowry, page 14