Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey has pledged that Labour will take action to block those who are not fit to be MPs, as the party continues to grapple with a row surrounding comments made by candidates. Healey stated that while Labour is careful in selecting candidates, it is impossible to see everything. In response, the Jewish Labour Movement commented that the past week had not been Labour’s “finest hour” and called for the suspension of members who failed to call out offensive language.
Healey’s comments come as Labour suspended two of its parliamentary candidates over remarks they made at a meeting attended by Labour politicians and local Muslim community leaders. Azhar Ali, who was due to be the party’s candidate in the upcoming Rochdale by-election, apologised for comments made blaming Israel for the 7 October Hamas attacks. Graham Jones, the Labour candidate for Hyndburn, used an expletive to describe Israel and advocated for British people serving in the Israel Defense Forces to be imprisoned. Jones has been suspended and is facing investigation, while Ali’s apology failed to prevent the party from withdrawing its support for him.
John Healey described Jones’s comments as “unacceptable” and affirmed that Labour would follow the evidence and take action accordingly. He added that withdrawing support from its candidates was “regrettable but essential” and that Labour would prioritise the country’s interests over the party’s interests. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, defended Keir Starmer’s actions regarding antisemitism in the party, emphasising the importance of separating criticism of Israel from general comments about Jewish people.
Next week, Labour’s divisions over the Gaza conflict will be tested when Parliament votes on an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in the area. The SNP Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, claimed that international pressure was necessary to initiate a ceasefire and that the UK had a moral responsibility to play its part
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