Despite the geographical distance between the Gaza Strip and the green valleys of Yorkshire, the war that has been ongoing for more than 8 months may affect the legislative elections in northern England, as many Muslims feel angry about the Labor Party’s position on the fighting that caused massive destruction in the Palestinian Strip.
Although the odds are that the Labor Party will win the legislative elections scheduled for July 4, its leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to support an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza sparked a division among Muslim voters, who traditionally and largely support the center-left party.
In 2019, about 4 in 5 British Muslims voted for Labour, embodying a legacy of historical links between the party and workers from Pakistan or Bangladesh in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, a recent poll indicated that one in every 5 of these voters will vote for the Labor Party in the upcoming elections, which may have an important impact on the results in some electoral districts that include a large Muslim community, such as Keighley and Elke in Yorkshire.
Labor candidate in Keighley, John Grogan, says: “This is certainly a problem, but I hope that as the campaign progresses I will be able to retain a significant portion of the Muslim voters who are concerned about this issue.”
He added while he was on an election tour, “Here the mosques take a neutral position, while mosques in some towns in northern England say: Do not vote for any of the main parties.”
During his tour, a voter stopped him and asked him about his party’s position on the war in Gaza. He replied that the Labor Party “will respect the authority of the international court” and recognize the Palestinian state.
However, the voter responded, saying, “Keir Starmer will be your leader. Whatever Keir Starmer says, you will follow him.” He added, “George Galloway is the only one talking about the matter,” referring to the left-wing MP who was a member of the Labor Party, and who became an independent MP during by-elections after he included the war in Gaza at the core of his election campaign.
Bipartisan outrage
Keir Starmer made what he considered “the fight against anti-Semitism” a priority when he assumed the presidency of the Labor Party in 2020, and he also adopted a firm position in support of Israel after October 7, when the Palestinian resistance, led by the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the resistance movement, launched Islamic State (Hamas) – The “Al-Aqsa Flood” attack on military points and settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip, and since then, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a brutal war on the Strip, leaving more than 122,000 dead and wounded.
The Labor Party’s position in this regard is similar to that of the Conservative Party government.
While huge demonstrations took place in the United Kingdom in support of Palestine, some protest movements also regularly targeted the Labor Party.
During the local elections last May, Labor strategists were forced to admit that their position on the war in Gaza had cost them votes. While they hope to retain the Keighley and Elke constituency on July 4, the new split raises deeper questions about the party’s direction.
Opinion polls show disastrous results for the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom in general, and it seems logical for the Labor Party to retain the Keighley and Elke seats. However, the participation of independent candidates such as Vasim Shapir, who focused his election campaign on Gaza, may lead to destabilizing the rules of the game.
He told Agence France-Presse that “Gaza motivated many voters who were politically indifferent or silent.” He adds, “We want to change the course of these elections,” explaining that his goal is to prevent the Labor Party’s victory.
According to lawyer Shaid Iqbal – a well-known figure within the city’s Muslim community – dissatisfaction is strong among voters. “They are angry with both parties, but they are more angry with the Labor Party, because they thought it would stand up for human rights and condemn atrocities,” he says.
For his part, Vasim Shabir warns that “young Pakistanis and Bangladeshis born in Britain in this electoral district do not want to vote for the Labor Party,” adding, “I think they will lose the votes of the future generation.”
