Should we celebrate or fear the “Muslim vote”? The success of independent candidates running on pro-Palestinian tickets, four of whom were elected, overturning huge Labour majorities, has led to a debate about the role of Muslims in British politics.

On the one side are radical Islamic groups, including the Muslim Vote (TMV), a coalition of organisations seeking to maximise Muslim electoral impact. “Through the grace of the Almighty,” it proclaimed after the election, Muslims had sent “the main political parties a message” that “in Muslim-heavy areas your majorities will be under threat”.

On the other side are those who fear the rise of “sectarian voting”. Jake Wallis Simons, the editor of the Jewish Chronicle and a Daily Telegraph columnist, saw in the “sectarian insurgency” of TMV and the pro-Palestinian independents a “glimpse into a horrifying future” in which elections are “dominated by hostile sectarianism”.

Whether employed in celebration or denunciation, the concept of the “Muslim vote” is dubious. The election showed the continuing convergence of white and ethnic minority voting patterns. Minority groups, which historically have favoured Labour, were more diverse than ever in their political choices.

What about Muslims? A Savanta poll for the online Muslim magazine Hyphen suggested that 44% of Muslims placed the Gaza conflict as one of the five most important issues, compared with 12% of the general public. Muslims, though, are not one-issue voters. Four of their top five priorities in the election were the same as that of all voters – the NHS, the cost of living, the economy and housing.

The poll showed, too, that support for Labour among Muslims had fallen by a quarter since 2019,........

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