Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, has withdrawn support for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali after he was recorded spreading an anti-Israel conspiracy theory. The candidate claimed that Israel allowed terrorists to infiltrate its border on October 7. The decision to withdraw support comes after open revolt from Labour MPs and accusations that Starmer was protecting a "racist crank". Ali remains as the party's candidate, but Labour could withdraw support for his campaign.
Labour leader faces backlash
Sir Keir Starmer faced intense pressure to distance himself from the candidate, with Labour MPs defying party orders to campaign for Ali. One Cabinet Minister accused Starmer of protecting a "racist crank". Home Secretary James Cleverly criticized Labour's defense of Ali's comments, calling them "vile and clearly antisemitic". The leader of the Campaign Against Antisemitism also expressed disappointment with Starmer, saying that the issue of antisemitism is not being adequately addressed.
Controversial mosque fundraising
It has been revealed that Ali helped raise millions of pounds for a mosque in Rochdale, where preachers have expressed support for terrorists and attacked Zionism. This adds to the concerns surrounding Ali and his suitability as a candidate.
Labour's antisemitism complaints
Since Starmer took office, the Labour Party has faced a staggering 700 complaints of antisemitism allegations. A dossier compiled by the party shows that 37% of cases involve such claims. Last year, the party's National Executive Committee dealt with 46 cases, bringing the total number of cases since April 2020 to 740.
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