Rochdale is another one of thirteen marginal parliamentary constituencies with significant Muslim voting potential. Approximate population of Muslim electorate: 20,000.

The 2001 general election

Labour majority: 5,655
Time of declaration: June 8 2001
Turnout: 56.7 %

A politically shrewd operator Labour MP Lorna Fitzsimons was elected in 1997 having formerly spent some time as a professional lobbyist and having worked as President of the National Union of Students. That time as a lobbyist has given her a good understanding of the politics ‘game’ and she is excellent at keeping her bases covered while pushing through her true objectives.

An excellent example of how she plays the game is her membership to the Friends of Islam Group, and the All Party Kashmir Group. One would think that someone in her political position would be vocal in their support and be committed to these causes, seeing as she does have 20,000 Muslims in her constituency.

Kashmir

Imagine how shocked we were at MPACUK when we learnt that she has only signed a few token EDMs on the issue of Kashmir, none of which has been effective and the British Muslims Monthly Survey (BMMS) undertaken by the University of Birmingham has stated that her predecessor Liz Lyn (Liberal Democrat) was much more vocal and active in her support of the Kashmiri cause.

So we ask this MP; elected by a large Kashmiri population, why does she choose not to do anything for Kashmir besides paying lip service?

Palestine

Also Ms. Fitzsimons has not even signed one EDM pertaining to Palestine- so why be a part of ‘Friends of Islam’? One begins to wonder if she is just covering herself (and succeeding) in the eyes of her Muslim constituents.

On the other hand Ms. Fitzsimons is a member of Labour Friends for Israel, and has enjoyed the benefits of having flights and accommodation paid trips to Israel, to hear their side of the story, all courtesy of that group. Surely her not signing the EDMs relating to Palestine has paid off for the other side.

Iraq

If her inaction for Palestine and Kashmir wasn’t enough she has also been openly supportive of the war in Iraq – is this representative of her 20,000 Muslim constituents? In addition, she voted against amendments that would limit the damage or seek to bring in the UN.

• UN resolution 1441 - 25.11.2002 Ms. Fitzsimons voted against a
  Liberal Democrat amendment limiting justification for war with Iraq without further UN sanction.
• Amendment to government Iraq motion - 18.3.2003 Lorna Fitzsimons voted against MPs debating the Iraq crisis and voted on an anti-war amendment. The motion was defeated.
• Anti-war amendment in the Iraq debate - 26.2.2003 Lorna Fitzsimons voted against an amendment tabled by Chris Smith and Douglas Hogg. The amendment was not carried.

Not only did she vote through and support this unjust war, she publicly criticised Clare Short for speaking the truth about her misgivings on war on Iraq. The Telegraph reports her as saying

"Clare was in the Cabinet that voted to go to war, she voted to send people to war, and now she is a woman on a mission. And it is just not acceptable. What message is this sending out if we do nothing about Clare?"

http://www.arts.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/04/nlab04.xml

Lorna deserves to hear at the next general election exactly how much out of touch her views are:

Students

So how does Ms. Fitzsimons fare with domestic issues? Sadly her time as President of the NUS did not stop her from voting in favour of cutting student grants and introducing tuition fees. She has been described as one of a “backward bunch of former NUS presidents that now parade as docile, conceited, self-indulgent New Labour MPs”, June 14, 1998 The Observer.

Anti-Terror Legislation

Also on a national level, Lorna Fitzsimons is supportive of the new Home Office anti-terrorism legislation

• In 2001 she voted for the controversial bill giving the government the right to detain foreign terrorists without trial. The motion was passed, which has led to the arrest and detainment of many Muslims, a fraction of whom have actually been arrested for any crime.
• Prevention of terrorism bill (2nd reading) - 23.2.2005
  Second reading of a bill to introduce control orders for terrorist suspects. Lorna Fitzsimons voted in favour. Rebels voted against.
• Prevention of terrorism bill (3rd reading) - 28.2.2005
  MPs voted on an amendment to make all control orders at the discretion of a judge. Lorna Fitzsimons voted against. Rebels voted in favour. The amendment was defeated and the bill given its third reading.

Lorna Fitzsimons has said in the House of Commons debates ( Tuesday, 12 March 2002).

“We have enjoyed support so far from the majority of British Muslims , who understand that they are just as much at risk from terrorism and acts of gross human rights abuses by Saddam Hussein as we are.”

She fails to mention the threat from the government and the arbitrary laws that allow detention and diminished legal rights. She also fails to mention the prevalence of Islamophobia that has become more and more apparent as time passes.

Lastly, it will interest Ms Fitzsimons’ Muslim constituents to learn about the personal character of the woman who represents their views in Parliament.

East (22.10.97) reports that Lorna Fitzsimons, MP for Rochdale, has angered some of her Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim constituents by an interview in the News of the World’s magazine. She apparently told the Sunday magazine: "I’m an immensely sexual person... there are some men I think ‘Cor, Wouldn’t mind giving you one!’. Generally, if I want to go to bed with somebody I tell them. If I want to do something particularly gross with them, I tell them". East believes that it is not only Ms Fitzsimons views on sex which have alienated some of her constituents, but her continuing support of the labour Friends of Israel.

[BMMS October 1997 Vol. V, No. 10, p. 12]

This shrewd political operator is showing herself as a friend to Muslims by joining the right groups and saying the right things at election time, but we must look closely at her actions, or lack of them and decide if this truly the voice that the Muslims of Rochdale want or need.

Actions speak louder than words Lorna. We gave you a chance and you let us down now you must pay the ultimate price by losing your seat at the next general election.

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