According to the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), 572 sectarian-style candidates were elected across 58 councils and two Mayoralties in this year’s local elections. A number that may rise to 574 by the close of play today once Birmingham City Council completes a final count…
Here is the party breakdown:
• Green Party – 350 elected candidates
• Independents – 132 elected candidates
• Labour Party – 84 elected candidates
• Liberal Democrats – 6 elected candidates
A candidate was coded as Muslim sectarian in the HJS’s pre-election report where there was evidence they “repeatedly and saliently foregrounded” issues of “Muslim communal grievance” or “transnational Muslim causes” as “a central part of their political appeal“. Henry Jackson Society Research Fellow Emma Schubart said:
“The focus after the results may be on which political leaders are fighting for survival, but the real battle is for the integrity of local democracy. With 572 sectarian-style candidates elected, it is clear that this form of politics is gaining ground and cannot be ignored. Local elections are increasingly being used to fight political battles on issues councils have no power to resolve – and that risks distorting democratic accountability and deepening divisions within communities.
“These results reinforce the central finding of our research – that these outcomes are not random but follow a clear and identifiable pattern. Where the underlying conditions exist, this type of campaign can succeed – and that is exactly what we are now seeing reflected in the results.”
Read the full list below…
Starmer loyalist and Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Starmer should not be replaced:
“We saw what the Tories did. They were in power for 14 years, and after 2016, I think we had nine education secretaries, seven chancellors, and five Prime Ministers. Doomscrolling through Prime Ministers doesn’t resolve the problem.”