By Harry Stannard

The ongoing slaughter of civilians in Gaza by the Israeli government is causing a significant impact in Leicester, as you would expect in a city with a population that is composed of 59% ethnic minorities – and where the second most common declared religion is Muslim.

After the furore caused by Keir Starmer’s comments on LBC radio – when he defended Israel’s right to cut off food, water and medicines to civilians – all Labour’s council leaders were invited to a meeting. Vociferous feedback was given that Starmer’s comments were losing Labour support.

Leicester’s executive Mayor Peter Soulsby wrote a letter to Starmer, which said: “Failure by the Israeli government and the international community to provide hope for a…. just settlement has provided a breeding ground for despair and terrorism in Gaza and the West Bank.” No call here for ‘Israel’s right to defend itself’. Indeed the letter says that, “Labour should call on the Israeli government to avoid terrorism and collective punishment.”

This letter would probably receive a deluge of complaints of ‘antisemitism’ if the Mayor was an elected official in some parts of the world, such as Germany or some parts of the USA. The Mayor’s letter came after seven of his Labour councillors wrote an open letter to Keir Starmer expressing their concern at his comments. After major losses in local elections last May, losing just three of these councillors would lose Peter Soulsby his majority on the city council.

The Labour leader only made his position worse by denying that he had supported Israel’s illegal actions, trying to pretend that he had been misunderstood. In fact the LBC interview was only one of several instances where Starmer’s shadow cabinet had supported breaking international law. See for example his interview with Radio 4’s Nick Robinson on 11th October, and Emily Thornberry’s lamentable display on Newsnight the following evening. So winning voters back will be tough, as Leicester South MP and shadow cabinet member Jon Ashworth painfully discovered, when he recently spoke to a public meeting hosted by Friends of Al Aqsa. I think the reception for him could be described as a ‘roasting’, and he was seen to disappear into an adjoining room to recover!

At a meeting of Leicester West’s General Committee on 24^th October, delegates overwhelmingly backed a resolution passed unanimously by Leicester City Council’s Labour group calling for Labour to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; an end to collective punishment, an end to the blockade of Gaza, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid and meaningful talks between the two sides to find a long-lasting solution.

MP Liz Kendall was present for the discussion, calling for a two-state solution, but she remained silent about the need for a ceasefire to protect the suffering people of Gaza. She also explained that Labour HQ has banned its MPs from any campaigning in their own seats. Understandably she is ignoring this, as she recognises her seat is now under real threat. This can now be said to be the case for all three seats in the city.

Harry Stannard is a member of Leicester West CLP.

In other developments:

The Labour leader’s call for a “pause” in the Israeli bombing of Gaza, echoing Rishi Sunak’s and Joe Biden’s stance, has not satisfied his critics.  Yesterday Keir Starmer met around a dozen Muslim Labour MPs and peers and was told the pressure to back a ceasefire is now “huge”.

Momentum described the slight shift in Starmer’s position as “an utterly insufficient response to the scale of human suffering in Gaza. Brief pauses in bombing are not a ceasefire – it is clear that Keir Starmer’s Labour is continuing to back Israel’s war on Gaza. Warm words about a two-state solution do not change this fundamental truth. Nor is Labour’s call for aid to reach those who need it credible, as long as it’s accompanied by effective support for blanket bombing and forced population transfer.

“Ultimately, the choice is simple. You either back a ceasefire – or you don’t. You either back an end to Israel’s deadly bombardment of civilians in Gaza – or you don’t. You either call out war crimes – or you don’t. Right now, it’s clear that, on all counts, Labour doesn’t.

“Labour voters want an end to the bloodshed – which is why an overwhelming 89% of them back a ceasefire. For as long as Keir Starmer rejects the position of his own party, the crisis in Labour will only get worse.”

The letter from Muslim Labour Councillors calling for an immediate ceasefire has now been signed by over 250 Councillors.

According to the Muslim Census results released today, 59% of Muslims intend to either Not Vote or Vote Independent at the next election. Fewer than 5% currently plan to vote Labour, compared to over 70% who voted Labour at the last general election.

The Socialist Health Association has issued a statement, saying: “We urge the Labour Party, to whom we are affiliated, to speak out clearly and unequivocally for a ceasefire and a just peace. Many will remember the historic work of Mo Mowlam in building peace in Ireland; this is the calibre of leadership which is needed urgently.

“We back members and branches in supporting solidarity actions; be they marches, fundraising events for MAP [Medical Aid for Palestinians] or public meetings. Please take SHA banners and flags. Please speak out wherever you can.”

Image: Destroyed Gaza cars. Creator: Voice of America | Credit: Voice of America via Picryl.com. Copyright: Public Domain. Licence: Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal