A LABOUR row erupted today after party insiders blamed Hamas for a possible local elections upset.
Party chiefs were up in arms after one of their own secretly briefed the BBC suggesting the Tories would hold onto the West Midlands mayoralty because Muslim voters treat the region like Gaza.
3
3
A Labour source said: “It’s the Middle East, not West Midlands that will have won the Mayoralty.
“Once again Hamas are the real villains.”
The comment was blasted by senior MPs who called for the secret source to be kicked out of the party immediately.
A Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour party has strongly condemned this racist quote which has not come from anyone who is speaking on behalf of the party or whose values are welcome in the party.”
READ MORE ON LOCAL ELECTIONS
It came as Sir Keir Starmer admitted his party is haemorrhaging Muslim votes because of the party’s position on Palestine.
The Labour chief spent months avoiding calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, leading to swathes of religious voters shunning the party.
In the West Midlands tomorrow Conservative mayoral incumbent Andy Street could defy expectations and hold his seat because an independent pro-Palestine candidate has won votes off Labour.
There are also jitters among those close to London Mayor Sadiq Khan that the issue has caused a closer contest in the capital than anticipated.
Polling guru Sir John Curtice said Labour votes are down by eight points since last year in wards where more than 10 per cent of people identify as Muslim.
The party lost control of Oldham council as senior shadow ministers admitted Sir Keir’s position on the Middle East has cost tens of thousands of votes.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Times Radio Labour is committed to “listen, reflect and learn” from Muslim residents.
He said: “I’m not going to disrespect those voters by pretending we haven’t heard the message.
“We’re going to do as we did over the last four years when people sent us difficult messages at the ballot box.”
On Sun show Never Mind The Ballots, Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth said Green Party campaigners in his home turf of Leicester dished out leaflets with verses of the Quran.
GREEN SHIFT
He claimed activists told voters the Greens are most aligned to Islamic values.
Mr Ashworth said: “In Leicester the Green party were putting out leaflets quoting verses from the Quran.
“They said you should support the Green party because that’s in tune with Islamic values.
“The Green party have been making a direct link on using the Quran to make the case for their election in Leicester.”
He added: “I know from speaking to my own Muslim constituents that there is hurt, there is anger.
“They feel there ought to be a greater expression in parliament across the board for their desire to see a ceasefire in Gaza and for people to speak out on what is happening in that part of the world.”
3
