CONSTITUENCY:

Leicester South

MUSLIM DEMOGRAPHICS:

Muslim Population*	19,264	19.3%
Muslims of Voting Age	12,329

2004 BY-ELECTION RESULT:

Lib Dem	10,274		34.9%
Labour	8,620		29.3%
Tory	5,796		19.7%
Respect	3,724		12.7%

Total Turnout	29,408	41.5%
Majority	1,654

2001 ELECTION RESULT:

Labour	22,958		54.5%
Tory	9,715		23.1%
Lib Dem	1,217		17.2%
Others	1,009		2.4%

Total Turnout	42,142	58%
Majority	13,243

CANDIDATES:

		Conclusions

 

Peter Soulsby (Labour)

Summary

Peter Soulsby LABOUR Leicester South   BAD GOOD

Voting History/Early Day Motions

Not Applicable

Election Survey:

Questionnaire not returned.

If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.

 

Other Information

He has said that he thought the war was a "mistake"[1].

He is accused of closing local schools down and "awarding himself a fat cat pay rise" when he was leader of  Leicester council (he became one of the first council leaders in England to receive an allowance of more than £20,000).[2]

Its interesting to note that Peter Soulsby is a Unitarian Christian.[3]

 

[1] http://politics.guardian.co.uk/byelections/page/0,11043,1254612,00.html.

[2] Telegraph 27 June 2004, Press Association 18 June 2004, et el.

[3] "Unitarians during the early Reformation rejected the doctrine of the Trinity as unscriptural, asserting instead the Unity of God and the essential humanity of Jesus... Jesus was the last of the great Hebrew/Jewish prophets.", Unitarian views of Jesus, http://www.theopenmind.org.uk/about/leaflets/Jesus.html

 

 

Parmjit Singh Gill (Lib-Dem)

Summary

Parmjit Singh Gill LIBERAL DEMOCRAT Leicester South   BAD GOOD

Voting History ( MP from 22 July 2004-present )

Anti-Terror Laws

Voted against Control orders – house arrests (Prevention of Terrorism Bill - Third Reading - 28 Feb 2005)

Early Day Motions

Hijab

Supported Call for UK & EU partners to protest France's ban on religious symbols in schools. (EDM 461, 21.01.04)

Israel

Supported Call for sanctions against Israel for not complying with the International Court of Justice decision on the illegality of the separation wall.(EDM 162, 24.11.04)

US

Did not sign EDM exposing double standards in US foreign policy regarding terrorism and democracy. (EDM 664, 04.02.05)

 

Election Survey:

Questionnaire not returned.

If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.

Other Information

No information available.

 

Martin McElwee (Tory)

Summary

Martin McElwee CONSERVATIVE Leicester South   BAD GOOD

Voting History/Early Day Motions

Not Applicable

Election Survey:

Questionnaire not returned.

If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.

Other Information

No information available. Cross awarded for party policy.

 

Matthew Follett (Green)

Summary

Matthew Follett GREEN Leicester South   BAD GOOD

Voting History

Not Applicable

Election Survey:

Questionnaire not returned.

If you live in this constituency we request that you email our sample letter to this candidate asking them to respond - its your right to know what your candidate stands for. Failure to respond may be interpreted as a candidates unwilling to clarify his or her real position and a disregard for the concerns of Muslim constituents.

Other Information

He is anti-war: "It is a disgrace that this country went to war on false pretences and no one has taken responsibility for that."[1]

[1] http://www.voteleicester.co.uk/election2005/

Yvonne Ridley (Respect)

Summary

Yvonne Ridley RESPECT Leicester South   BAD GOOD

Voting History/Early Day Motions

Not Applicable

Election Survey:

For information on the Election Survey including why certain questions were asked and how certain answers may be interpreted click here.

ANTI-TERROR LAWS 1. Do you feel Muslims have been unfairly targeted by the anti-terrorism laws? YES [] NO [ ] 2. Would you oppose the introduction of more anti-terror legislation? YES [] NO [ ] 3. Do you support the current Stop and Search powers under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which gives the police power to stop and search without any suspicion or reason? YES [] NO [] 4. Do you oppose the Extradition Act 2003 which allows the extradition of British citizens to the US without the need for the US to provide prima facie evidence to support the extradition request. The US has itself refused to allow its citizens to be extradited to the UK under the same conditions. YES [] NO [] 5. Would you support the repealing of the current anti-terror laws (starting with the Terrorism Act 2000)? YES [] NO [ ] ISLAMOPHOBIA 6. Do you agree that Muslims are being discriminated against due to their religion? YES [] NO [ ] 7. Currently the race-relations law in Britain protects other religious minorities like Jews and Sikhs from discrimination but it excludes Muslims leaving them unprotected. Would you support new legislation that would protect Muslims from discrimination? YES [] NO [ ] 8. Do you support the proposed law on incitement to 'religious hatred'? YES [ ] NO [] 9. Would you support the recording and monitoring of Islamophobic attacks and incidents? YES [] NO [ ] HIJAB 10. Do you support the right of Muslim girls to wear hijab in schools? YES [] NO [ ] 11. Would you sign a petition against the french ban on hijab in schools? YES [] NO [ ] 12. Do you agree that for a school to ban a Muslim girl from wearing jilbab (as in Shabina Begums case) it is violating her human rights? YES [] NO [ ] MUSLIM SCHOOLS 13. Do you support state-funding for Muslim schools? YES [] NO [ ] 14. If yes, would you support state funding for Muslim schools so that it reflects demographically the level of funding already enjoyed by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish schools? YES [] NO [ ] WAR 15. If the government proposed an attack on Iran or Syria would you oppose it? YES [] NO [ ] 16. If your previous answer is yes, what if the attack had UN sanction would you still oppose it? YES [] NO [ ] 17. Do you agree that Bush should face war crimes charges? YES [] NO [ ] PALESTINE 18. Do you support the Palestinian right of return to any part of historic Palestine (including what is now Israel)? YES [] NO [ ] 19. Do you agree that whilst Israel ignores UN resolutions and the verdicts of the International Court, Israeli goods should be boycotted? YES [] NO [ ] 20. Do you agree that an arms embargo should be imposed on Israel whilst it continues killing Palestinian civilians? YES [] NO [ ] 21. Are you a member of a "friends of Israel" group? YES [ ] NO [] 22. Do you agree that Sharon should be indicted for war crimes? YES [] NO [ ] TERRORISM & LIBERATION 23. Do you think that the ANC (African National Congress) was a terrorist organisation? YES [ ] NO [] 24. Do you think that Hizbullah is a terrorist organisation? YES [ ] NO [] 25. Do you think that Hamas is a terrorist organisation? YES [ ] NO [] 26. Do you think that the MKO (Mujaheddin e Khalq) is a terrorist organisation? YES [ ] NO [] 27. How would you describe Russia's actions in Chechnya? Genocide [] Ethnic Cleansing [] State Terrorism [] Fighting Terrorism [] 28. Do Kashmiris have a right to liberate their land from Indian military occupation? YES [] NO [ ] 29. Which country do you consider the greatest threat to world peace? Israel MESSAGE 30. Your message to the Muslim community (around 100 words): My message to the Muslims is the same one I have for all the Leicester South constituents. I can't promise you knighthoods or tea with Tony, but I pledge to fight your corner to ensure that you receive a fair hearing, real justice, and equal treatment regardless of your gender, age, ethnic background, race or faith whatever your problem. As your elected representative I will serve you and you alone. I will be guided by you and I will seek your advice on burning issues instead of being told how to vote by government.

 

Other Information

Yvonne Ridley was captured by the Taliban when as a reporter she entered Afghanistan in a burqa. After her release she studied Islam and has since become a Muslim. Of her conversion she said:

"When I became a Muslim on June 30 2003, I joined what I consider to be the biggest and best family in the world. Wherever I travel I know I will have the love and support of brothers and sisters across the globe. I also know that if someone deliberately hurts or harms any of my brothers and sisters I will feel their pain, and if there is anything I can do to ease their suffering I will. My message is very clear and simple: Don't mess with me or my family."

She is well know for her outspoken defense of the Palestinian people and opposition to american imperialism.[4] She has paid a price for this. In 2003 she was sacked from a journalist job at Al-Jezeera for her strong criticism of the US occupation of Iraq. Its said that when US officials from the US embassy in Qatar, which hosts a huge US military base, inspected the Al-Jezeera newsroom they were carefully kept away from Yvonne's desk. Later when Yvonne Ridley managed to get photos of US soldiers searching Iraqi children, the channel coming under US pressure, refused to publish them and later sacked her.[1] 

In the UK she has been a vocal critic of erosion of civil liberties and draconian anti-terror legislation. She has criticised the media for demonising the Muslim community.[2]

She was one of the first journalists to enter Jenin after the massacre. She spoke passionately about it to 50,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square demanding justice for Palestine (May 2002).[3] 

[1] Al-Jazeera'a own goal, by Jemima Kiss 27 Nov 2003. http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story769.shtml
...the decision to sack her is rumoured to have been triggered by pressure from the US government. "I don’t believe in conspiracy theories - and initially I dismissed the suggestion that US pressure might be involved," said the Al-Jazeera.net reporter,who asked not to be named. "But the events of the past few weeks have changed that. "Yvonne has fabulous contacts and managed to get photos of US soldiers searching Iraqi children - but we were told not to publish them.".

[2] The Role Of the Media In Demonising Muslims, by Yvonne Ridley - a talk given at the 9/11 - The Hidden Victims Conference 8 Sept 2002. http://www.inminds.co.uk/sep11-hidden-victims.html

[3] Justice for Palestine rally - photo-report 18 May 2002, http://www.inminds.co.uk/palestine-rally-18may02.html

[4] "Bush and Blair say Sharon is a man of peace - he's NOT - he is a bloody war criminal!", extract from speech by Yvonne Ridley (28 September 2002) -  see http://www.inminds.co.uk/palestine-rally-28sep02.html

Also see speach at the, Stop the War Rally 22 March 2003
http://www.inminds.co.uk/antiwar-rally-22mar03.html

Conclusions

Everyone needs to learn from the results of the 2004 by-election. A Labour majority of 55%, with second position trailing more than 30% behind, was smashed and Labour lost the election to the Liberal-Democrats. It shows what is possible - an example of people power in action. 

But the real success story of the by-election was Yvonne Ridley. Coming out of nowhere she took 13% of the vote! This is particularly significant when we consider the winner only received 35% (just over 10,000 votes). There are over 12,000 Muslim voters (20% of the population) in this constituency. If they work together there is a good possibility they can secure for themselves a person whom many consider to be the best candidate standing in this election in any constituency in the country - sister Yvonne Ridley. We wholeheartedly recommend everyone in Leicester South to do themselves a favour and vote for Yvonne Ridley.

Election Guide Home

* Our figures are conservative reflecting the minimal strength of the Muslim vote:

1. The Muslim population figures are taken from the 2001 census. The religion question was optional and many Muslims did not feel comfortable giving out this information if wasn't a requirement. (This writer knows of two members of his own family who did not answer this question out of fear that one day this data will be used to discriminate against them).

2. Our statistics assume only 64% of the Muslim population is of voting age (18+). This figure is much lower than the national average because the Muslim population is the youngest in the country with 34% under the age of 16 (the national average is 20% under 16). Please note that our estimates are slightly less than those given on the MCB website.

(source http://www.statistics.gov.uk)

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