Pro-Gaza activists have dramatically issued a list of 18 demands to Sir Keir Starmer and threatened to withhold their support at the next general election if he does not fulfil them.
The Muslim Vote has called for the Labour leader to promise to cut military ties with Israel, allow followers of Islam to pray in school and stop people with the name ‘Muhammad’ being charged more for insurance should he become prime minister.
It has also demanded a law that criminalises spiritual and religious leaders from instructing their congregation how to vote is scrapped and wants seven per cent of public sector pensions to be invested into ‘ethical and Islamic funds’.
The group, which has vowed to ‘punish’ MPs who it sees as not being supportive of Palestine by mobilising the four million Muslim voters in the UK, said it would only consider backing the Labour leader if Sir Keir caved in to their demands.
The activists claim to have more than 25 organisations backing them, although it was revealed earlier this year that at least two of them were being investigated over extremism concerns.
Sir Keir said he was ‘determined’ to win back voters who deserted Labour at the local elections over his party’s stance on Gaza, after dozens of pro-Palestine campaigners were elected as councillors in place of Labour candidates.
Many of those elected made 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, including one Green councillor who shouted ‘Allahu Akbar!’ after winning.
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’.
On its website The Muslim Vote claims that it will help communities organise political campaigns and brags that it has a ‘bank of thousands of volunteers’ at the ready.
During last week’s local elections the lobbying group called on supports to ‘make our collective voices heard at the polling station’ by voting for ‘Pro Ceasefire’ candidates.
A key figure in The Muslim Vote is pro-Palestinian activist Muhammad Jalal, who styles himself as a ‘writer, political scientist and educator’.
His real name is Jalaluddin Patel and he was the UK leader of the now-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir between 2000 and 2005, with the government banning the organisation earlier this year. Jalal has denied supporting terrorism and says he has had nothing to do with Hizb ut-Tahrir since 2008.
Jalal is believed to be the leader of the campaign and has appeared on its social media channels, although he denies he is in charge and insists he only helps the group with data collection.
The Muslim Vote claims to be backed by 25 organisations including the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend), both of which were reported to be under investigation earlier this year over extremism concerns.
These two organisations were among a string which Michael Gove revealed last month could be checked against the Government’s new definition of extremism.
The Communities Secretary told MPs on March 14 that he had concerns about the ‘Islamist orientation’ of three Muslim-led organisations – MAB, Mend and Cage.
He labelled MAB in the Commons as the ‘British affiliate’ of the Muslim Brotherhood and said it gave ‘rise to concern for their Islamist orientation and views’.
Mr Gove also raised fears about Mend, which encourages Muslims to participate in voluntary groups, and said it would be assessed against the new definition.
Muhammad Jalal, whose real name is Jalaluddin Patel (pictured), is believed to play a key role in the group
In a social media post on the day of the election The Muslim Vote encouraged people to vote for ‘Pro Ceasefire’ candidates
On its website The Muslim Vote says it wants to mobilise the four-million strong bloc of Muslim voters in Britain
Both organisations condemned the move, with MAB warning it ‘sets a dangerous precedent undermining democracy, religious freedoms and free speech’.
In 2019, analysis by the Muslim Council of Britain revealed that 31 marginal seats could be decided by Muslim votes, which would be enough to swing a close election.
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.’