Keir Starmer stands by ‘conspiracy theory’ candidate in Labour antisemitism row

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The Labour Party is embroiled in a recent antisemisitm row with Sir Keir Starmer below renewed stress to dam his Rochdale by-election candidate from standing as an MP over his controversial remarks on Israel.

The shadow chief is going through a backlash from the left and proper after standing by Azhar Ali, who advised Israel had allowed the 7 October Hamas assault to occur to offer grounds to invade Gaza.

The row intensified as Sir Keir was urged to re-admit different MPs suspended in antisemitism rows, with some questioning the alleged distinction in his method to left-wing MPs and people seen as Starmer loyalists.

Labour peer Prem Sikka advised The Independent that Sir Keir’s backing for Mr Ali exhibits that there’s “one set of rules for anybody on the left, and another for favourites of the Labour leader”.

Tory MPs additionally rounded on Sir Keir, saying his backing for Mr Ali confirmed Labour “has not changed” since Jeremy Corbyn’s management, when the get together was dogged by its dealing with of antisemitism complaints.

Labour, in the meantime, publicly stood by their candidate, with shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds insisting it might be “unfair” to conclude there’s a drawback with Labour in Rochdale, including that Mr Ali had merely “fallen for an online conspiracy theory”.

He additionally claimed there had been “a transformation” in the Labour Party’s dealing with of antisemitism below Sir Keir, arguing that the instances of suspended MPs had been completely different. “In this, case… there’s been the apology, the retraction, but also that recognition of the level of offence that has been caused and then a commitment to seeking to rebuild trust,” he advised Times Radio when requested in regards to the distinction.

Mr Ali can’t now withdraw from the 29 February by-election, the place he was picked as Labour’s candidate to exchange the late Sir Tony Lloyd.

Labour figures have urged the get together to let him combat the competition to cease George Galloway – who’s campaigning towards Labour’s stance on Gaza – from successful the seat.

One shadow minister advised The Independent Sir Keir wanted to be clear that Mr Ali, if elected, “will not be a Labour MP… and that we will replace him with an appropriate candidate for the general election”.

“It is a mess… and a completely avoidable one,” they mentioned.

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland advised The Independent: “Once again, Labour is showing that they have not changed, are not to be trusted and are nowhere near ready for government.”

Kate Osamor was suspended final month over a Holocaust Memorial Day put up suggesting the Israeli motion in Gaza is genocide. Diane Abbott was suspended after writing a letter suggesting Jewish individuals are not subjected to the identical racism as another minorities.

And Andy McDonald was suspended for utilizing the controversial phrase “between the river and the sea” in a pro-Palestine rally speech. All three are on the left of the Labour get together and supported former chief Mr Corbyn.

Corbyn-backing marketing campaign group Momentum slammed what it known as an “authoritarian, factional purge of the Left from Keir Starmer”. It added that Mr Ali’s case confirmed the opposite suspensions had been “not about anti-racism”.

Lord Sikka additionally known as on Sir Keir to revive the whip to these left-wing MPs, all of whom had been suspended over what he mentioned had been a lot much less critical incidents. “I just can’t understand it,” he mentioned.

The former London minister Paul Scully mentioned the get together was “the same as ever underneath”, echoing left-wing MPs and activists who imagine Sir Keir’s choice to stay by Mr Ali is pushed by “political expediency”.

He mentioned: “How can Keir Starmer stick with someone peddling the most heinous and offensive accusations about Israel? Because politically it’s the easiest short-term solution but storing up a whole load of trouble ahead.”

Pointing to the case of Ms Osamor, he mentioned: “I’m sure Kate Osamor who lost the whip for less is scratching her head at this latest act of political expediency.”

Another Labour MP advised The Independent: “Rochdale is a mess. I think they know that if they lost the candidate, that might just galvanise support for alternative independent candidates.”

Labour on Sunday issued an announcement on behalf of the candidate after the Mail on Sunday revealed feedback from a recording of him telling the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had been warned of the assault earlier than it occurred, however they “deliberately took the security off”.

Mr Ali is alleged to have mentioned: “The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier… Americans warned them a day before [that] there’s something happening… They deliberately took the security off, they allowed… that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want.”

The Labour councillor can also be alleged to have mentioned that Sir Keir has “lost the confidence of the parliamentary party”. He mentioned: “A lot of the MPs I’ve spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue, he’s lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.”

In the assertion issued on Sunday morning, Mr Ali mentioned: “I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false.

“Hamas’ horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. October 7th was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.”

Joe Glasman, head of political and authorities investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, mentioned: “This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology.

“This is distressingly acquainted to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised had been behind us. This isn’t tearing antisemitism out ‘by its roots’.”

Mike Katz, the nationwide chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, mentioned his group wouldn’t marketing campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had “destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community” together with his “totally reprehensible” feedback.

But he stopped in need of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the “alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway” whose victory would “harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali”.

He added: “We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Ali’s comments as we are.”

Adam Langleben, director of the Progressive Britain suppose tank, mentioned Mr Galloway was “a greater evil” and that Ali ought to win. But he added: “Maybe he loses the whip once he has done it. Probably he isn’t allowed to contest the general election.”

The row additionally threatened to as soon as once more spotlight divisions inside Labour over its stance on the Gaza battle, with Sir Keir’s preliminary refusal to name for an instantaneous ceasefire going through critical criticism from inside the get together ranks.

About 20 per cent of the voters and 30 cent of the inhabitants in Rochdale are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labour’s vote may very well be hit by Asian folks sad with the get together over Palestine and its perceived assist for Israel.