Opinion | How Pak And Bangladeshi Vote Blocs Are Becoming UK's New 'Kingmakers' |
May 27, 2026 16:54 pm IST
Opinion | How Pak And Bangladeshi Vote Blocs Are Becoming UK's New 'Kingmakers'
Tower Hamlets, a London town that once was predominantly White, just re-elected Lutfur Rahman as mayor for the third time. But this is just part of a bigger shift.
Naresh Kaushik Naresh Kaushik Columnist
Naresh Kaushik Columnist
Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is fighting for his political survival after his Labour Party suffered a catastrophic defeat in local council elections earlier this month at the hands of the populist Reform UK. This was the latest blow to Labour and its traditional rivals, the Conservatives, from Reform, which has brought a political storm to Britain since the last general election and has kept the far-right party in the lead for over a year. The Labour Party's defeat was partly caused by the desertion of a large number of its loyal Pakistani and Bangladeshi voters in favour of the Green Party or small Muslim groups.
Weeks before these elections, the Green Party adopted a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir calling for "democratic self-determination". The resolution was proposed by one of its members, Azhar Ahmed, who described the decision as historic. The Green Party, which also made significant gains in these elections, has been targeted by Pakistani and Bangladeshi activists seeking influence. The party's deputy leader is Mothin Ali, of Bangladeshi origin, though it is headed by Zack Polanski, a left-oriented, white Jewish man.
In a February by-election in Gorton and Denton, a Manchester suburb, Pakistani voters played a major role in helping the Green Party come out on top, pushing Labour into third place behind Reform. The campaign was dominated by Israel's brutal military campaign in Gaza and the Labour Party's Israel policy. The vote ended the Labour Party's dominance of the constituency for nearly 100 years. The constituency is 30% Muslim, mainly of Pakistani descent.
Changing Political Landscape
Tower Hamlets in London and Oldham in Manchester illustrate the changing nature of Britain's politics, driven by Muslims from the Indian subcontinent. Tower Hamlets, which is 40% Bangladeshi-origin Muslim, has just re-elected Lutfur Rahman as mayor for the third time. His Aspire party won 33 council seats (out of 45), all held by Bangladeshi Muslims. It's a remarkable development in a London town that was once predominantly white.
An interesting aspect of Rahman, a former Labour Party member, is that he was........