UK’s two Muslim ministers expected to lose parliamentary seats

By IRNA,

London : Britain’s first and only two Muslim ministers are expected to be among up to 100 Labour casualties or more to lose their parliamentary seats at this week’s general election, according to research carried out by IRNA.


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But the losses could be more than offset by three Muslim women, representing Labour, successfully defending two constituencies and capturing another to become the first female Muslims to sit in the 650-member House of Commons.

In addition, the Conservatives have three or four candidates, who are Muslim, poised to win seats and become the party’s first British parliamentary representatives after being the first to having Muslim members in the European Parliament.

With just a few days to go before the elections on Thursday, the results could see a total of nine Muslim MPs, replacing the four outgoing members, with only Khalid Mahmood retaining his seat in Birmingham Perry Bar, according to an analysis of various bookmaker odds in individual constituencies.

In the expected backlash against the government, both Transport Minister Sadiq Khan, who became the first Muslim to sit in cabinet, and Justice Minister Shahid Malik, are among favourites to lose in their respective parliamentary seats of Tooting, south London and Dewsbury in northern England.

But in Glasgow Central, Anas Sarwar is odds-on to win and successfully replace his father, Mohammad Sarwar, who is stepping down after becoming the first Muslim MP to be elected back in 1997.

A record of at least 80 candidates standing in the elections are Muslim. All four Muslim MPs previously elected have been Labour.

Among several vying to become the first Muslim women MP, Yasmin Qureshi and Shabana Mahmood, who are both barristers, are favourites to defend Labour seats in the respective constituencies of Bolton South East in northern England and in Birmingham Ladywood.

Child poverty commissioner Rushnara Ali is also expected to recapture Britain’s most populous Muslim seat of Bethnal Green and Bow in east London, which former Respect leader George Galloway won from Labour on an anti-war platform at the last elections in 2005.

But according to the odds, 27-year old solicitor Maryam Khan is unlikely to hold onto Labour’s majority of less than 3,000 in Bury North in northern England, following the incumbent MP David Chaytor being barred from standing and being prosecuted over his expenses.

The first Muslim Tories expected to be elected, who are all male, include Sajid Javid, a successful banker, who has been selected for Bromsgrove to defend the majority of more than 10,000 left by resigning MP Julie Kirkbride.

Rehman Chisti is also firm favourite to win the Tories’ number one target seat in newly-created Gillingham and Rainham, south-east England, which has a notional Labour majority of just 254.

The election results are expected to see the first Iraqi Kurd, with Nadhim Zahawi defending the 12,000-plus Conservative majority in Strafford, central England, while Labour’s 3,000 majority in Bradford West in northern England is clearly in the sights of Zahid Iqbal to overturn.

Despite a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, the party again remains very unlikely to have any Muslim MP as none of its 21 Muslim candidates have been selected for a winnable seat.

British bookmakers also see the task being too great for Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob to capture Birmingham Hall Green and become the first hijab-wearing MP.

The elections are the closest for decades with so many uncertain factors, with the Conservatives firm favourites to become the biggest party in parliament but uncertainty on whether it will be able to win an addition 117 seats or more to have an overall majority.

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