Labour Muslim Officials Slam Party Over Gaza Stance and Islamophobia
The survey, conducted by the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) between 2 April and 16 May, is the first of its kind. It received responses from 221 out of 477 eligible Muslim elected officials within the Labour Party, including MPs, councillors, and mayors.
The findings show that 77 percent of respondents believe the UK government should end all arms exports to Israel. An even greater proportion, 84 percent, said they support imposing sanctions on the Israeli government. Almost all - 97 percent - said they support the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine.
The results reflect mounting frustration with Labour leader Keir Starmer's handling of Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Since the war began, Starmer and senior Labour ministers have emphasised Israel's "right to self-defence" and resisted calls for stronger action against Tel Aviv.
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Starmer caused particular controversy in the early weeks of the war when he told LBC radio that he believed Israel had the right to withhold power and water from Gaza. He later claimed his comments were misinterpreted and said he had only intended to affirm Israel's right to security.
In recent weeks, Starmer has taken a slightly firmer stance on Israel. Last month, the Labour Party suspended free trade talks with Israel and imposed sanctions on settler leaders.
On Wednesday, Starmer told Parliament he would consider taking further action in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza. However, unlike Spain, Ireland, and Norway, the UK has yet to recognise Palestine as a state.
The LMN survey also found that 58 percent of Muslim Labour representatives believe the party had failed to represent British Muslims adequately.
A further 66 percent said they did not believe Muslim representatives were treated equally within the party. One-third of respondents said they had personally experienced Islamophobia.
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When asked about how the party addresses Islamophobia, more than half of respondents said they did not believe Labour takes the issue seriously.
In a statement shared with The Guardian, the Labour Muslim Network said: "Our Labour Party cannot credibly claim to be an anti-racist movement while ignoring the testimonies and experiences of its own Muslim elected officials."
In response, the Labour Party said: "We are the party of equality and we take any complaints of discrimination, including Islamophobia, seriously. All complaints are assessed in line with our complaints policies and procedures through our independent complaints system."
Source: The New Arab
