Councillor speaks out as female voters intimidated at polling stations

[IwantToRetire]

Councillor Hajran Bashir was just one of a handful of councillors who shared their experience of gender-based violence at a meeting on July 27.

The comments were made in response to Reform’s appointment of a White Ribbon Champion, Councillor Nicky Barker – a role designed to highlight and tackle male violence against women and girls.

Several councillors congratulated the leaders and spoke openly about their first hand experiences of the matter.

Councillor Hajran Bashir said: “Both myself and my fellow female candidates were subjected to harassment, intimidation and online abuse throughout the election campaign.

“On polling day the behaviour was so severe that many female residents felt uncomfortable and intimidated by groups of men standing outside polling stations.

“My fellow candidate was subject to such intimidation that she had to run into the polling station out of fear.

“Some women chose not to cast their vote as a result. I personally escorted several women to polling stations because they didn’t feel confident attending alone.

“Following the elections many women spoke to me about how intimidated they felt seeing groups of men gathered outside polling stations and on the surrounding streets. No woman should feel fearful when exercising their democratic right to vote.

“What saddened me most was the lack of condemnation. Very few people challenged this behaviour. That silence meant that the actions continued unchecked.

“People in politics have a responsibility and should not be seen to support people like the toxic influencer Andrew Tate. When you see people in power standing next to him in photographs, it doesn’t send a good message to our young boys.”

Councillor Simran Cheema choked up as she congratulated Reform on the appointment.

Article continues at https://www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/news/local-headlines/councillor-speaks-out-as-female-voters-intimidated-at-polling-stations/

And this is in the UK. For crying out loud. Who were these men?

Well I found it quite confusing, in terms of the news paper report.

But I suppose that on one level if it means the council will look at all forms of male violence, whether men trying to intimidate female voters, or men behaving violently towards women they live with, I am all for it.

Whatever the context, the common factor is men resorting to violence and intimidating against women.

Who are these men and why are they intimidating women? Are they supporters of Andrew Tate? The article isn’t very clear.

It’s in Walsall and you’re asking who the men are?

I think if you read the article it is about all men in Walsall.

And the range of acts of violence and intimidation by men.

My daughter lives in Tower Hamlets and reported similar; she did not vote 😕

@IwantToRetire Also baffled by the article. What women/men and why, what was the context? Is it about ethnicity - if so, which ethnicity?

@blueirises what exactly was going on, please?

Can I ask what the men were doing in your daughter's case?

When I lived in London, I was often one of the last people to cast my vote. I don't know - maybe those blokes have gone away by then because it's pretty quiet later. I would say it was the kind of area where that might happen. It wasn't when I moved in, but it was by the time I left.

Absolutely won't load for me - don't know why

I know what kind of men - I just don't know how they're going about it.

Thanks for the link it's a bit lacking in detail for a discussion to be had, the White Ribbon campaign seems a positive step but again not many details.
As I'm on my phone I can't really do research, maybe later when I have more access to online information.

The fact they didn't make it clear, and they didn't mention a racist, or anti-Muslim intent, makes me wonder whether this is men from those women's own community who are intimidating them. Because if these men were racists, then I think we'd hear about it.

Yes men, always fucking men, but there's some context missing here.

In Tower Hamlets it was historically groups of men linked to the mayor, Lutfur Rahman, who was convicted of electoral fraud but is now once again mayor.

Independent observers found:

• General concerns over large, intimidating crowds outside polling stations.
• Extremely high levels of attempted family voting where family members are accompanied or directed by relatives on how to vote. Democracy Volunteers said they witnessed family voting at a third of polling stations though it “would have been more if it were not for the actions of the elections staff, and to some extent the police”. The report found 85 per cent of those subjected to family voting were women. (my bold)

None of the reports mention ethnicity, but anyone who knows Tower Hamlets is aware that Aspire (Lutfur Rahman’s party) councillors are all from the same ethnic group.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tower-hamlets-election-lutfur-rahman-aspire-party-report-intimidating-voting-b1001322.html

So what has Andrew Tate got to do with any of this? Are the men in Tower Hamlets particularly influenced by him?

Hard to trust a news story that is so terminally vague about one of its central features. There seems to be some 'forced teaming' between an initiative to tackle domestic violence and the issue of 'groups of men standing about' by polling stations.

If there is a genuine claim to be made here (i.e. that the men were targetting women, presumably to control their access to voting or influence their vote), then why hasn't it been stated? The fact that it is left vague suggests that whoever is behind this particular campaign is quite happy to proceed on the basis of innuendo.

And throwing in Tate makes everything even more confusing.

It’s a very poorly written story as it conflates several issues and Andrew Tate intimidating people at polling stations is not a story I am aware of.

But specifically on the councillor’s comment regarding polling day, there is video footage of Muslim men intimidating women at the 2024 general election, I remember it specifically with Jess Phillips’ constituency.

Maybe Nicky Barker can come forward with specific examples of what the problem is to enlighten us all.