The British Conservative Party

[minionofmidas]

as that seat is very largely muslim and the swing was about 8% (and Labour held it, and it swung back into line in 2001), "sweeping and often unfair" is correct. But there is something to it.
Yeah, Muslims used to be voting 70%+ Labour (like the working class people they are, in Britain), and have trended heavily LD in recent by-elections and such. Not at all sure whether this will continue at the next general, if it does it might make for some, er, interesting, new Lib-Lab marginals. Probably won't though. Too much fear of PM Howard.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

as that seat is very largely muslim and the swing was about 8% (and Labour held it, and it swung back into line in 2001), "sweeping and often unfair" is correct. But there is something to it.
Yeah, Muslims used to be voting 70%+ Labour (like the working class people they are, in Britain), and have trended heavily LD in recent by-elections and such. Not at all sure whether this will continue at the next general, if it does it might make for some, er, interesting, new Lib-Lab marginals. Probably won't though. Too much fear of PM Howard.

30% of that seat is Asian (mostly Bangladeshi IIRC)... in 2001 the Tory candidate won almost all the Bangladeshi vote but sod all white voters. There's a rumour that George Galloway will run there next election, but unless he demonstrates a previously unseen ability to connect with White Working Class voters I don't think he'll do much better than the Tory did last time.

Interesting to note that while in (say) the Brent East by-election or local elections in Birmingham, Muslims have swung towards the LibDems, in a lot of Cities up North (and not just BNP-blighted Cottonopolises) they haven't.
Backs up you're theory I guess.

[Silent Hunter]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

True. Racial voting can be a problem in all of them

[minionofmidas]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

True. Racial voting can be a problem in all of them

IIRC Leicester isn't far off.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

True. Racial voting can be a problem in all of them

IIRC Leicester isn't far off.

Local election patterns in Leicester are usually *worse* than in those parts of London...

[minionofmidas]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

True. Racial voting can be a problem in all of them

IIRC Leicester isn't far off.

Local election patterns in Leicester are usually *worse* than in those parts of London...

I actually meant in terms of nonwhite percentage - not far off the 50% mark.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Brent are the only three UK boroughs where whites make up less than 50% of the population.

True. Racial voting can be a problem in all of them

IIRC Leicester isn't far off.

Local election patterns in Leicester are usually *worse* than in those parts of London...

I actually meant in terms of nonwhite percentage - not far off the 50% mark.

I think it's over 50% (or very, very close to it) in Leicester East. IIRC Leicester South has the highest % of Muslim's in the U.K. Leicester West is mostly white, working class territory (I think it has, or had, a large Jewish population).