A report from the think-tank Policy Exchange alleges that Muslim independents are pursuing a 'grand deal' with the Green Party to effectively 'divide up the country' and reshape the UK's political landscape. The report identifies a growing 'Islamopopulist movement' that has been collaborating with Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski to forge an alliance between the far-Left and Muslim activists.
Green Party's shift to the hard left
According to the report's authors, the Green Party's move towards the hard left under Polanski has brought it 'much closer to the Islamopopulist worldview'. The campaign group The Muslim Vote (TMV) is said to have a 'five-election plan spanning 25 years' aimed at exerting 'real power' as 'kingmakers' in future contests.
Call for a 'grand deal'
Muhammad Jalal, former UK leader of the banned terrorist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir and a public supporter of TMV, stated online: 'There needs to be a grand deal – a deal between Muslim independents, [Jeremy Corbyn's] Your Party, and the Green Party where we all decide to not stand in each other's territory, in each other's place. We divide up the country.' He added, 'I've spoken to Zack Polanski about this.' Jalal has previously called for 'a world built on Islamic principles' where Muslims are 'able to order the world'.
Threat to British interests
The report's authors argue that Islamopopulist objectives are 'fundamentally against the interests of the British people and of British Muslims'. They describe parts of the movement as 'the greatest extremist threat in British politics' and stress that 'it is vital that all mainstream parties keep a clear distance from this movement'.
Responses from TMV and Green Party
A TMV spokesman rejected the claims, stating: 'The Muslim Vote is focused on the issues ordinary people care about: the cost of living, the NHS, housing, foreign policy… We reject these unfounded claims about our political work and campaigning work, we are proud to be engaging Muslims across the country to use their democratic right and vote.' A Green Party spokesman denied that the party had held talks with TMV.
