They may not be as numerous as Muslim voters, and there are no rebel candidates stealing them away from Labour over conflicts abroad, but Punjabis are a specific electorate with their own concerns, and some of their communities happen to be highly concentrated in key target seats for Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
The Sikh Federation UK estimates their community could have an impact in up to 80 constituencies, and so we’ve taken our parliamentary people’s bench to two seats in South East England, to find out what Sikh voters are looking for in the next government.
First, we visit a Punjabi sporting event – the ancient game of Kabaddi.
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Described as Sikh sumo wrestling, and played in teams, it originated as a military training exercise on how to take captives and win ground.
In a circular arena, teams of well-stacked men send players to “raid” the opposition territory and touch their opponents without being pinned down or shoved out of the circle.
The event is taking place in the constituency of Ealing Southall, known as The Little Punjab.
Fuel, shopping and rent
Sikhs make up 30% of the population here but spectators come to the event from across the country – and sharing their thoughts, seated on our parliamentary bench at the edge of the kabaddi pitch, they expressed views similar to those we’ve heard elsewhere.
“Fuel, shopping, rents, it just goes up and up,” says Kabaddi referee Sucha Singh Thind. “Every government comes in. They promise a lot of things, ‘we do this, we do that’, but nothing happens in the end.”
Kabaddi referee Sucha Singh Thind
Southall resident Arshpreet Singh Randhawa adds: “The current cost of living as we all know is through the roof and it is becoming extremely difficult to live and sustain, evident that…
