- A recent opinion poll shows a significant drop in Labour support among British Muslims, attributed to concerns over Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
- Labour’s Muslim Network warns party faces “crisis point” in Muslim voter support, urging leadership change to avoid long-term loss.
According to a new survey by Survation, backing for Labour from the Muslim community has plummeted from 86 percent to 60 percent since the 2019 election.
The Labour Muslim Network, which commissioned the survey, characterised the findings as indicative of a “crisis point” for the party’s traditionally robust standing among Muslim voters.
When factoring in undecided voters—though not accounted for in the previous 2019 poll—Labour’s current support among British Muslims declines even further, plummeting to just 43 percent.
This occurs amidst escalating tension regarding the party’s stance on the dire escalation of events in the Middle East, with 38 percent of British Muslims expressing a less favourable view of the party over the past year.
“Muslim voters have been watching and are now sending a clear message – they will not support any political party that does not fervently oppose the crimes committed against the people of Gaza,” the Labour’s Muslim Network asserted in a statement on Monday.
The group also stated, “The Labour leadership must change paths now or risk losing the support of the Muslim community for a generation.”
Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Khalid Mahmood, expressed that the party’s stance on a Gaza ceasefire had stirred considerable anger among his constituents.. “I’ve never seen this quantity of emails coming through my inbox,” he said to ITV News.
Sir Keir has encountered significant pressure from the left-leaning grassroots of the party and advocates for Palestine due to his initial reluctance to support an immediate ceasefire following the outbreak of violence in October.
Ten frontbenchers also resigned over his handling of the Gaza.
In December, Sir Keir began advocating for a “sustainable ceasefire,” aligning with other leaders among Israel’s western allies moving away from unequivocal support for strikes on Gaza.
Mish Rahman, a left-wing Labour NEC member, told The Independent that there were broader factors contributing to the loss of support. “These findings are deeply worrying but unsurprising. For months I have been alarmed by the Labour leadership’s willingness to turn a blind eye to Islamophobia within the party.
Furthermore, yesterday Rochdale’s Labour candidate, Azhar Ali, was confronted in a restaurant for Labour’s stance on Palestine and refraining from calling for a ceasefire.
