Calls for election campaigning in foreign languages to be BANNED amid 'worrying' rise of sectarianism

During the election campaign, the Green Party put out leaflets and videos in both Urdu and Bengali, in a clear bid to target the many ethnic minority voters that make up much of the electorate in the Greater Manchester seat.

Their candidate Hannah Spencer, a local plumber, took the seat, previously Labour-held for a hundred years, with 14,980 votes, 41 per cent of the vote, and pushed Labour into third place behind Reform.

The Conservative candidate came fourth with just 706 votes - the party's worst ever result in a by-election.

Now Shadow Local Government Minister Paul Holmes has tabled an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill. He warns: “We are experiencing a worrying rise in sectarian and separatist sentiment in our country, and it is being exacerbated by parties like Labour and the Greens. By singling out particular communities, they are consciously preying on division and excluding the vast majority of the population in a cynical bid for votes.”

The amendment says: “Language of campaign materials (1) During the relevant period campaign material must not be promoted or published in a foreign language."

It says that “campaign material” “means imprinted election campaign material published by political parties and candidates, whether in hard copy or digital format”.

And that “foreign language” means a native language of any foreign country outside the British Islands.

Mr Holmes claims: “Campaigning in a foreign language as the Greens did in Gorton and Denton only fosters greater division. A coherent national culture relies on shared values, and an inclusive electoral process relies on a common tongue. Any MP of any party who wants to see that achieved should support our amendment.”

In Gorton & Denton, the Greens deployed videos and leaflets in Urdu and Bengali urging people to vote Green to provide “a strong voice for Muslims”. And said voting Green would “punish” Labour over Gaza.

In Western wards in the constituency, Levenshulme & Longsight, are 50 per cent and 60 per cent Muslim respectively.

They included videos of the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi, a very unpopular figure in Pakistan. And David Lammy when Foreign Secretary , shaking hands with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Former Labour MP Lord Walney, now a cross-bench peer and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Defending Democracy, warned: "This hate-filled sectarianism is the dark reality behind the Greens' shiny progressive veneer.'

Like so much of the far-Left, they are falling into bed with Islamists who hate our country rather than offering any hope for the future.'

But the Greens Deputy Leader Mothin Ali denied accusations of “sectarianism” in Gorton & Denton, telling The Canary website: “We've used English, we've used Bengali, we've used Arabic - trying to make this campaign as inclusive as possible.

"We've tried to appeal to people from all kinds of backgrounds, Some of the slogans are based off Bangladeshi or Pakistani typical political slogans.The same slogans have been used to find a message that people can resonate with. That's just about inclusivity.”

The Bill is currently at Committee stage in the Commons, and will be debated in the coming days.

If it fails at this stage, as is likely given the Labour majority on the Committee, GB News understands it will be brought back, potentially in the House of Lords, where currently no party holds a majority.

Yesterday Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy tweeted a photo of a letter sent to voters in Tower Hamlets in London with the words in English “Poll card enclosed” and another language beneath. It has currently had over 400 thousand views.