In a small self-built stage at 6am in a leisure centre in Portslade, I stand side by side with the people and politics I felt compelled to stand against in the 2024 general election. We have all put ourselves forward for the people’s vote, and now the value of our voice is measured by a number. The precise number of people I represent at this moment is 3,048. I am disappointed.
I soon learned it is a high score for a very short political campaign with no party brand or media coverage. Gaza ceasefire candidates did best in areas with major Muslim populations, where many voters felt ignored by the main parties.
Hove and Portslade, where I stood, is a city with only a 2.2 percent Muslim population. Nationally, five independents were elected that morning and many thousands of votes went to other independents who stood for an end to Israel’s genocide, as well as to the Greens for their pro-ceasefire stance.
As I step out into the morning rain, exhausted from a relentless six weeks, I realise, with discomfort and appreciation, what Palestine has done for the British left. It is the beginning of a movement for justice and humanity that our establishment parties and media wish would go away. It won’t. It’s just beginning…..more
