Yesterday’s election was a tectonic shift in British politics. Widespread dissatisfaction at the Conservative’s and Labour’s stance on Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza saw an unprecedented shift towards pro-Palestinian candidates, both running as Independents and within smaller parties.
While coverage has primarily focused on Labour’s landslide victory, this only tells part of the story. Labour lost five seats to Independent candidates that stood on a pro-Palestine platform. In Leicester South, Shockat Adam beat shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth by 979 votes, declaring in his victory speech that “this is for the people of Gaza.” Independents, Adnan Hussain in Blackburn, Iqbal Mohamed in Dewsbury and Batley and Ayoub Khan in Birmingham Perry Barr, all won in previous Labour safe seats, reaffirming the Party’s failure to address the concerns of many of its traditional voters over Gaza. The victory of Jeremy Corbyn, a lifelong advocate of Palestinian rights, is further evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with Labour and an endorsement for a different politics.
Elsewhere, Labour saw its voter share slashed in previously safe seats. Leanne Mohamad, the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, reduced Wes Streeting’s majority to just 528 votes in Ilford North; Shabana Mahmood’s majority went from 30,000 to 3,000; and Rushanara Ali’s from 37,000 to 1,700. These are just some of the most radical representations of a trend that followed Labour in many of its constituencies.
Shamiul Joarder, Head of Public Affairs at Friends of Al-Aqsa said, “We sees signs of encouragement in these results, which show the strength and power of the pro-Palestinian movement and sentiment in this country. With only a few weeks to react to a snap election, activists and candidates were able to cause major upsets, challenge those who refused to vote in favour of a ceasefire in November and vote for Independents that ran on a pro-Palestinian platform. We see this as an endorsement of our position and a confirmation that many have prioritised Palestine at Thursday’s General Election. We are committed to continuing the struggle for a free Palestine and will continue to build in our communities to amplify this and hold the new government to account.”
Today, we will see the start of a new era in British politics. While focus is on Labour’s landslide, the Conservatives’ capitulation and Reform’s four seats, the centrality of Palestine at this election cannot be ignored. It is essential that the new government listens.
