A pro-Gaza Muslim lobbying group has issued a list of 18 demands to Sir Keir Starmer it says he must fulfil in order for them to consider backing him at the next election.
The Muslim Vote has called for the Labour leader to promise to cut military ties with Israel and allow followers of Islam to pray in school should he become prime minister.
Among the other demands include calls for the scrapping of a 19th century law that criminalises spiritual and religious leaders from instructing their congregation how to vote and forcing seven per cent of public sector pensions to be invested into ‘ethical and Islamic funds’.
The group, which describes itself as ‘a network of Muslim individuals & organisations uniting so that our votes are never taken for granted again’, made the demands after Sir Keir said he was ‘determined’ to win back voters who deserted Labour at the local elections over his party’s stance on Gaza.
Dozens of pro-Palestine campaigners were elected as councillors after making the conflict in the Middle East part of their campaign, with some wearing rosettes in the colours of the Palestinian flag while others dedicated their victories to the people of Gaza.
It has raised fears in some quarters that it is a sign of things to come, with regional votes being determined based on overseas conflicts and foreign policy, rather than local issues.
Sir Keir Starmer pictured in Birmingham on Saturday after Labour won the West Midlands mayoral election. The Labour leader said he was keen to ‘win back the trust’ of voters who didn’t turn out for the party over its position on Gaza
Dozens of pro-Palestine councillors were elected during the local elections last week after making the conflict in the Middle East part of their platform. Pictured: The moment a Green Party councillor shouts ‘Allahu Akbar’ after being elected in Leeds
The Muslim Vote issued a series of demands for Sir Keir Starmer after Labour shed votes in the local elections over its position on the conflict in Gaza
When Sir Keir was questioned on Saturday about losing votes over his position on Gaza – with some estimates suggesting in Birmingham his party shed nearly 30,000 on the issue – he said wanted to ‘win back their trust and confidence’.
This sparked the Muslim Vote to issue a list of demands on X, formerly known as Twitter, which it said he needed to fulfil if he was ‘serious’ he wanted to win back their votes.
These included the Labour leader apologising for his what they saw as his ‘greenlighting’ of Israeli action in Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, the recognition of a Palestinian state and cutting all military ties with Israel.
It also called for a travel ban on Israeli politicians who backed military action in Gaza and the implementation of sanctions on companies and settlers operating in ‘occupied territories’.
Away from the conflict in Gaza the group has also demanded the changes in Britain.
These include issuing guidance that Muslims are allowed to pray in school and scrapping a 19th-century law that ban priests and imams from telling their congregation how to vote.
It also includes financial demands that seven per cent of public sector and local government pensions are to be invested in ‘ethical and Islamic funds’.
Others include calls to make sure that ‘insurance quotes don’t cost more for someone called ‘Muhammad” and to scrape the definition of extremism put forward by Michael Gove this year.
The group said it wanted ‘real action and real policies’ before also demanding he ‘return the zionist money’ – money given to the party or MPs by pro-Israel groups or individuals – bragging that if they died ‘we’ll give you alternative funding’.
Last night senior Tories said they feared the elections will mean town halls end up being dominated by debates over foreign affairs rather than local services.
Ex-Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Mail: ‘People are entitled to their views but foreign affairs is a matter for the House of Commons, not local councils.
‘This is a consequence of the Left’s attempt to segment society and create a coalition of minorities rather than a unified whole. This is very divisive for the country at large.’
Former Home Office minister Sir John Hayes added: ‘I find it disturbing when you have people standing for election not because they care about making a contribution to building a better Britain, but because they are more interested in events overseas.
‘It’s important that people can express their views on foreign affairs, but that should not be the basis for standing to govern a local authority.’
Tory candidate and former No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy said: ‘Of course it alarms people that politicians scream ‘Allahu Akbar’ about a foreign war in a British local election held to decide who collects the bins.
‘As ever, the usual liberal suspects prefer to turn a blind eye, or even defend it.’
The war has loomed large over Westminster since Hamas’s terror attack of October 7 triggered deadly reprisals by Israel.
Sir Keir suffered the biggest rebellion of his leadership in November when ten frontbenchers resigned or quit over his refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
But Thursday’s local elections were the first time that large numbers of pro-Palestine campaigners have stood for election, mostly in areas of the North West with large Muslim populations
More than 40 councillors were elected in England after making the conflict part of their campaign, analysis of Thursday’s vote suggests. Pictured: Councillor Mothin Ali
Mothin Ali out campaigning for his council seat – which he won on Thursday
Members of the Blackburn Independents group who adopted the Palestinian flag in their campaign for election
Aisha Kouser (pictured) won more than double the votes of her nearest rival, Labour’s candidate, after describing herself to voters in Oldham as a ‘voice for Palestine’ in her campaign material
It will lead to concerns about growing sectarianism in British politics. In Oldham, independent candidates won eight of the 21 seats available, with several of them explicitly campaigning in support of Palestine.
In Pendle, Lancashire, pro-Palestinian independents won five of the 12 seats up for grabs.
There was a similar surge in Bradford, where nine of the 30 seats went to independents. Seven of the candidates either criticised Labour directly for its Gaza stance, or made pro-Palestinian statements.
Mothin Ali, a Green Party candidate in Leeds, said he would ‘raise the voice of Palestine – Allahu Akbar!’ during his victory speech, although Palestine did not feature on his party profile page.
Tory peer Lord Jackson of Peterborough said the Greens ‘will rue the day it admitted these deranged zealots into their party for cheap opportunistic short-term reasons’.
In the West Midlands mayoral election, pro-Palestine independent Akhmed Yakoob came third with 69,621 votes.
Before the count there had been an anonymous briefing to the BBC – condemned by Labour HQ – that the party would lose the contest as a result of the ‘Middle East not West Midlands’, and that Hamas were ‘real villains’.
Sir Keir told Sky News: ‘I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldn’t, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community. I have heard you. I have listened.
‘And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.’
