29 June 2021

Why Labour’s Muslim MPs are losing patience with Keir Starmer

An increasing number of MPs share the view that the party has taken Muslim voters for granted, in Batley and Spen and elsewhere.

By Ailbhe Rea

BATLEY, ENGLAND - JUNE 14: Kim Leadbeater, Labour candidate for the Batley and Spen by-election talks to constituents, who are supporting Workers Party of Britain candidate George Galloway, as she campaigns on the streets on June 14, 2021 in Batley, England. Ms Leadbeater is running for the parliamentary seat previously held by her sister, Jo Cox, the MP who was murdered in 2016. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Batley and Spen is witnessing an ugly final few days of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s by-election, in which Labour is facing a difficult challenge from the Conservatives and former MP George Galloway.

The Labour party has been accused of “dog-whistle racism” by one of its own MPs, Navendu Mishra, after a party leaflet was distributed to Muslim voters in the constituency depicting Boris Johnson with India’s nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi, in 2019, with the words: “Don’t risk a Tory MP who is not on your side.” Labour has confirmed that this is an official party leaflet. Separately, Labour has alerted the police to the distribution of fake party leaflets depicting Keir Starmer taking the knee, accompanied by the message: “the biggest threat to our precious multicultural society is whiteness”.