Muslim Support for Labour Party Falls by over 40 Points as Starmer Backs Israel

Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters carry a giant mask of Britain's main opposition L
HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Zindulka

Sir Keir Starmer’s broadly supportive stance on Israel’s conflict against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip has seen the Labour Party’s support among British Muslims cut in half since the last general election.

While Westminster watchers have all but coronated Sir Keir Starmer’s left-wing party, which is currently predicted by pollsters to secure a landslide victory over the fledgling Tory government in the upcoming election, a poll commissioned by the Labour Muslim Network shows that support among one of the party’s key constituencies, the Islamic community in Britain, is quickly eroding.

According to the Survation survey reported by ITV, Labour’s support among British Muslims has fallen to 43 per cent compared to 86 per cent during the 2019 general election. Yet, the left-wing party still vastly outperforms the Conservatives, who currently only have the backing of 6 per cent of the Muslim community in the UK, down from 10 per cent in the last election.

Commenting on the poll, the Labour Muslim Network warned that the drastic decline in support could signal long-term difficulties for the party in retaining the Muslim vote.

“For decades the Muslim community has been amongst the most loyal Labour supporters anywhere in the United Kingdom. The findings of this new opinion poll shows a startling collapse of this electoral and communal relationship,” they said in a statement.

“This is a crisis point for the future of the relationship between the British Muslim community and the Labour Party.”

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to rebrand the party after the radical tenure of its former chief, far-left socialist Jeremy Corbyn, whose time at the helm of the party was marred by numerous antisemitism scandals and by Corbyn’s support for radical Islamist groups, including calling Hamas his “brothers” on Iranian state television.

Following the October 7th Hamas terror attacks on Israel, which left around 1,200 people dead — most of whom were civilians — and a further 250 taken hostage by the Jihadi group, Starmer sparked outrage among Muslims in the UK for defending Israel’s right to defend itself as well as initially supporting the move to cut off water and electricity to Gaza.

Although he later walked back his support for the tough moves made by Jerusalem, dozens of local Muslim politicians resigned from the party in protest. Several members of his shadow cabinet also resigned after Starmer ordered them not to vote for a motion calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The issue of the ongoing conflict in Gaza is likely to play a role in the next election, with 85 per cent of Muslims surveyed in Britain saying that the positions taken on the issue by political parties will influence their decision on who to vote for.

The Labour Muslim Network said that Starmer’s current position on Gaza is “unacceptable and deeply offensive to Muslims across Britain” and that if the party does not reverse course, they risk “losing the support of the Muslim community for a generation.”

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