The Gorton and Denton By-election: Our Muslim vote is not for sale but our power will be felt on February 26th, as the constituents of Gorton and Denton head to the polls in a by-election that has become the ground zero for the future of British politics. This is not just a routine contest; it is a referendum on complicity and a battle for the soul of our constituency and in an area where nearly one-third of the electorate is Muslim, our community holds the key to delivering that verdict.

But let us be absolutely clear: the Muslim vote is not for sale. It cannot be bought by a lifetime of blind loyalty to a single party, nor can it be won by desperate, last-minute leaflets dropped through our doors. Our votes must be earned through principle, through moral consistency and through an unwavering commitment to justice.

The Labour Betrayal
For decades, communities in Gorton and Longsight were the bedrock of the Labour vote. That trust has been shattered. While the Labour Party machine warns of splitting the vote or letting extremists in, they fail to look in the mirror. They have overseen the arming of a genocidal regime. They have refused to recognise the horror in Palestine for what it is. As one local stallholder in Longsight told reporters recently, “They’re not recognising the genocide. It’s even more of an issue now. My blood starts boiling talking about it.”

Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, asks for our votes to stop division. But division is exactly what they have sown by choosing silence over justice. The Labour NEC blocked the popular Andy Burnham from standing, exposing the internal rot and contempt within the party machine. They offer nothing but the status quo, and the status quo is stained with blood.

The Poison of Reform UK
And then there is Matt Goodwin. To be blunt, he is not fit for purpose. He does not live in this constituency, he does not work here, and he does not care about our community. He’s a carpetbagger parachuted in by Reform UK to exploit our diversity for his own political gain.

Goodwin has built his entire career British identity and othering migrants. He’s pushing the narrative that calls for an immediate ban on all migration from predominantly Islamic nations. He is the face of the anti-migrant, Islamophobic right. He’s using Islamophobia, toxic migration rhetoric and bigotry as tools to garner votes. He looks at our community, at the mosques, the businesses, the families—and sees a wedge issue to be exploited. He does not see neighbours, he sees a campaign strategy.

Let us be clear: a vote for anyone other than the Greens risks handing this constituency to a man who has made a living out of exploiting people like us for political means.

The Only Moral Choice: Hannah Spencer and the Greens
In a sea of candidates—from the far-right posturing of Reform to the irrelevant fringes of the Monster Raving Loony Party—there is only one candidate who aligns with the conscience of this Ummah: Hannah Spencer of the Green Party.

We are here empowering you with the facts. While other parties equivocate, the Green Party has been unequivocal. They have passed official party motions recognising Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide. They have officially declared Israel’s policy in the occupied territories to be ‘apartheid’, and they have thrown their weight behind the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The Green Party is the only major political party in this race whose leadership has had the courage to tell the British government to end its complicity in violence. They understand that there can be no peace until the arms sales to Israel stop. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber who actually lives in the constituency, represents a politics that is rooted in humanity not corporate lobbying or racial division.

Critics will point to the recent comments of the Green Party leader, Zack Polanski. While he personally may struggle with the terminology, the policy of the party—the binding decisions made by its members—is crystal clear: anti-Genocide, anti-Apartheid, pro-BDS. That is the platform Hannah Spencer stands on.

The Enemy at the Gate
Make no mistake: Reform UK sees this by-election as their moment. They want to take a seat with a massive Muslim population and turn it into a platform for Islamophobia. Goodwin is betting that we will be divided, that we will stay home, or that we will throw our votes away on candidates who cannot win.

The Greens are best placed to defeat Reform in Gorton and Denton. A vote for Hannah Spencer is a vote to keep the Islamophobes out and put a pro-Palestine voice in.

Ramadan: A Month of Action and Victory
We are in the midst of Ramadan. We often speak of this holy month as a time of reflection, but it is also a month of action. The Battle of Badr, the great victory of our history, took place during Ramadan. It was a victory of truth over falsehood, of justice over oppression.

This February 26th, as we prepare to fast, we have a chance to channel that spirit. We have a chance to show that the Muslim vote is a sleeping giant that is now awake. We are not asking you to vote for a party because of its name, but for the right candidate because of her principles.

Take action. Vote for Hannah Spencer on February 26th. Let them know in Westminster that we do not forget, we do not forgive complicity in genocide, and we will not be intimidated by hateful rhetoric.

Reject the carpetbagger. Reject the complicit. Stand with justice.

May Allah accept our deeds and amplify our efforts. This is our moment to move forward with purpose.

Ramadan Kareem. Vote for Justice.