High-profile setbacks marked the night for Labour, including the narrow defeat of Jonathan Ashworth, who had been poised for a Cabinet role in Keir Starmer’s government. Meanwhile, incoming Health Secretary Wes Streeting barely held onto his seat, surviving a pro-Gaza challenge by a slim margin of fewer than 1,000 votes.
“There’s no question there was a reaction,” said Streeting, describing the backlash faced by Labour over its stance on Gaza. “This wasn’t just limited to Muslim voters—non-Muslims, too, expressed their anger. I even had constituents telling me to leave their property.”
Richard Johnson, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, highlighted the party’s vulnerabilities, stating, “Labour is aware it has, at times, been viewed as neglectful of Muslim voters’ concerns while in opposition.”
In opposition, Starmer faced internal backlash for his cautious endorsement of an Israel-Gaza cease-fire. | POOL photo by Benjamin Cremel/Getty Images
Johnson noted Labour’s efforts to regain Muslim-majority constituencies, explaining, “The party recognizes the political cost and the need to reconnect with these communities. At the same time, the traditional pro-Israel stance of some within Labour has weakened considerably.”
Of the five constituencies now contested by pro-Gaza independent candidates—Blackburn, Dewsbury and Batley, Birmingham Perry Barr, and Leicester South—four rank among the U.K.’s top 20 constituencies with the highest Muslim populations, according to the 2021 census.
Conservatives lash out
The Conservatives were quick to criticize Labour’s shifting policies, interpreting them as a reaction to their electoral challenges. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined the chorus, accusing Labour of “abandoning Israel” in pursuit of electoral gains.
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