During a recent call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the United Kingdom’s newly elected Prime Minister Kier Starmer (Labour) stressed that he supported a Palestinian state, and could recognize one early in the process towards statehood. Meanwhile, the new Foreign Secretary David Lammy claimed that the Labour Party would “work with partners to seek Palestinian recognition.” Lammy has also bizarrely stated that he wants “to get back to a balanced position on Israel and Gaza.”
However, it looks like Labour’s tilting the country towards a more “pro-Palestinian” stance might be overshadowed by Parliament’s new squad of sorts: Five independent candidates that ran and won on anti-Israel platforms. This independent bloc matched the number of seats won by Nigel Farage’s Reform party and exceeded those won by the Green party and Plaid Cymru party (at four each).
Shockat Adam won as an independent for Leicester South by 979 votes, defeating a 13-year incumbent former Labor Member of Parliametn (MP) John Ashworth. Upon his victory, Adam proclaimed “This is for Gaza.” Adam has accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza, and called the Labor party “pro-genocide.” He also posted an “election scorecard” on X, stating that he supports an immediate ceasefire, recognizing a Palestinian State, respecting the decisions of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (presumably against Israel), ending weapons sales to Israel, the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and “return[ing] stolen land to Palestinians.” He then posted a picture of him meeting Rabbi Elhanan Beck, the late leader of the fringe anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox group Neturei Karta. Neturei Karta’s more infamous moments include holding a vigil for Yasser Arafat, visiting with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Iranian leaders, and engaging in Holocaust denial. (READ MORE: Keir Starmer’s Win Signals the UK’s New Leftist Course)
Ayoub Khan won as an independent for Birmingham, Perry Barr by 507 votes, defeating 23-year incumbent former Labor MP Khalid Mahmood. Khan stated that he specifically resigned from the Liberal Democratic party and ran as an independent so that he could be more vocal on Gaza. He re-posted a post stating that he “calls for an immediate ceasefire, end in arms sales to Israel, and recognition of a Palestinian state.” Khan also called for an “Arms embargo now!” on Israel. He additionally reposted Fiona Lali, the self-described “national campaigns coordinator for the revolutionary communist party,” who had stated she would run in the election as an independent because England’s political establishment financially supports Israel’s “war crimes against the Palestinians.” He also supports a ceasefire in Gaza. Khan had also questioned Israeli reports that Palestinians committed rapes and burned babies on Oct. 7, asking “What do they think we are? Fools?”
Adnan Hussein won as an independent for Blackburn by approximately 132 votes. Upon victory, Hussain shouted to supporters: “We will raise our voice for Gaza! We will continue to fight, until death, inshallah!” He also parrots the genocide canard against Israel: In another victory speech, he stated that “we are here on the back of a genocide, and if that’s giving us the opportunity to unite our community, then we must grasp it, we must take it…,” and as part of his platform, he stated “I say no to supporting a genocide.” In another victory celebration, he stood amidst a crowd that called for the destruction of Israel while chanting “Free free Palestine,” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Iqbal Hussein Mohammed won as an independent for Dewsbury and Batley. He also perpetuates the lie that Israel committed genocide by stating during his campaign that “[a] vote for labor is a vote for genocide.” (READ MORE: The Curtains Are Drawn on Biden and Europe’s Rulers)
And last but certainly not least, Jeremy Corbyn won as an independent for Islington North. Upon victory, Corbyn posted: “Our message to the government: we are a movement for Palestine, and we are never, ever going away.” Speaking at a mosque after his victory, Corbyn stated, “This is a victory also for those of us that believe in peace, those of us that believe in the rights of the Palestinian people to be able to live in peace, to end the bombardment, to end the sale of weapons, to end the destruction of Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank.”
On election day, Corbyn posted that “Palestine is on the ballot” and promised that if re-elected he would support “an end to the occupation of Palestine.” Corbyn also called for “the unconditional and immediate recognition of the state of Palestine.” He also called Israel’s war in Gaza a “genocide” and called for the new government to end arms sales to Israel. He recently accused Israel of committing “apartheid,” “occupation,” and “oppression” toward the Palestinians. Corbyn also called for Israel’s immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (READ MORE: The Palestinian Authority Is Jihadist Too)
Will these new independent MPs pressure the new Labour government to be even more pro-Palestinian? Will we see a new antisemitism scandal emerge in Parliament, similar to the one that rocked Labour and ultimately forced out Corbyn as leader? This new squad in Parliament is poised to hamstring any further British support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
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