Abubakr Nanabawa from The Muslim Vote argues that Muslims should vote for strong independent candidates in the local elections on May 7, or if none exist in your area then you should consider alternatives like the Green Party.

The 2026 local elections are not just another routine vote. They are a moment of decision. A moment where communities across this country must ask themselves a simple question: are things getting better, or are they getting worse?

For many people, especially in working-class and Muslim communities, the answer is clear.

Across cities like Birmingham, Bradford, Kirklees and London, people are facing the same reality: rising poverty, a housing crisis that is locking an entire generation out, public services stretched to breaking point, and local leadership that too often feels distant.

This did not happen by accident. These are political choices.

Look at Birmingham. In some areas, more than half of all children are growing up in poverty. At the same time, basic services have broken down. Long-running bin strikes have left parts of the city struggling. This is not just mismanagement. This is a failure.

And Birmingham is not alone.

From the North to the Midlands to the capital, the same pattern repeats. Councils that have been controlled by the same establishment for years are overseeing decline. Opportunities are shrinking. Costs are rising. And ordinary people are being asked to accept less.

So the question is simple: how long do we keep voting the same way and expecting a different result?

The truth is, we don’t have to.

Voting in 2026 is different

These elections offer a real opportunity to do something different: to reject the politics of fear that tells us there is only one “safe” option. We have already seen what happens when people vote with intention. In Manchester Gorton and Denton, voters showed that outcomes are not fixed.

That is the lesson for 2026.

Across the country, there are alternatives. In Bradford, the Bradford Independent Group has built a local track record. In Kirklees, strong independent candidates are emerging in Dewsbury, Batley and Huddersfield. In Birmingham, there is a mix of independents and candidates from the Green Party of England and Wales. And in London, local independent groups are gaining momentum.

These are not symbolic choices. They are real options.

But this moment also requires honesty.

It is not enough to vote for someone simply because they share your identity. What matters is who will stand up for working people, who will challenge failure, and who will deliver change.

Break the cycle or accept decline

Because the reality is this: many of the same faces have been in charge while conditions have worsened. Poverty has risen. Housing has become less affordable. Young people are being priced out of their own cities.

We cannot keep rewarding failure and expecting progress.

Local elections matter because local decisions matter. Housing, services and investment — these are shaped at council level. When councils fail, communities feel it immediately.

So the choice in May 2026 is clear. Where there are strong independent candidates, support them. Where there are credible alternatives like the Green Party, consider them seriously.

Do not vote out of habit. Do not vote out of fear. Vote with purpose. Because change will not come unless we demand it.

For further information please visit The Muslim Vote website.