Labour was condemned by Jewish groups last night for standing by a candidate who claimed Israel ‘deliberately allowed’ the October 7 massacre.
Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the ‘green light’ to invade Gaza.
Mr Ali yesterday admitted his comments were ‘inexcusable’ and apologised after being confronted by The Mail on Sunday.
But Labour sources said he would remain as the party’s candidate in the February 29 Rochdale by-election.
Despite the controversy, it is understood Labour’s levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise. A Labour source said Ms Nandy had taken part in a ‘scheduled event’.
Keir Starmer has been criticised by Jewish groups after standing by a candidate who blamed Israel for the Hamas atrocity on October 7
Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the ‘green light’ to invade Gaza
Despite the controversy, it is understood Labour’s levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism last night branded Labour’s stance ‘obscene’ and said the failure to boot out Mr Ali made a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer’s claim to have dealt with the party’s ugly anti-Semitism problem.
‘This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology,’ a spokesman said.
‘This is distressingly familiar to days that Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing anti-Semitism out ‘by its roots’. Labour must urgently re-examine this obscene decision if its leader is to be regarded as a man of his word.’
The Board of Deputies of British Jews described Mr Ali’s comments as ‘disgraceful and unforgivable’, adding: ‘It is clear to us that he is not apologising out of a genuine sense of remorse.’
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were ‘outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable’.
And Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: ‘Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he’s changed Labour. Time after time we’re seeing that simply isn’t true. While vile racist slurs are freely exchanged within Labour, it is unfit to hold public office. Sir Keir should immediately remove Mr Ali’s Labour membership and suspend Labour’s campaign.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were ‘outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable
Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: ‘Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he’s changed Labour. Time after time we’re seeing that simply isn’t true’
Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali and Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham launch Ali’s by-election campaign on February 7
‘If Labour won’t do that, the public will see that Labour is happy to run anti-Semitic candidates to attract racist votes and is therefore unfit to play a leading role in our nation’s affairs.’
In a leaked recording of a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the October 7 attacks, Mr Ali claimed Israel had ignored warnings from Egypt and the US of an imminent attack.
He suggested the Israeli government had reduced security measures at the border to allow Hamas terrorists free rein to murder, rape and kidnap.
‘They deliberately took the security off, they allowed … that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want,’ he said.
Mr Ali, who is Labour group leader on Lancashire County Council, also criticised Sir Keir’s stance on the issue.
When one person at the meeting suggested Sir Keir was ‘held in high regard’, Mr Ali replied: ‘Can I disagree with you… A lot of the MPs I’ve spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue he’s lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.’
Yesterday he issued a grovelling apology after The Mail on Sunday revealed his comments. ‘I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments, which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false,’ he said.
‘Hamas’s horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released.
Mr Ali was recorded saying: ‘They deliberately took the security off, they allowed … that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want’
The Labour candidate is defending a Labour majority of more than 9,000 in Rochdale (pictured) on February 29. Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census.
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali’s comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour’s candidate
‘October 7 was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising anti-Semitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.’
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali’s comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour’s candidate.
He told Sky News: ‘His comments were completely wrong. He should never have said something like that. He’s issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it.’
Asked whether he would be kept on as Labour’s candidate, Mr McFadden replied: ‘In the upcoming by-election, yes he will.’
Education minister Robert Halfon, who is Jewish, said it was ‘disappointing to hear Pat McFadden back him and begs the question, has Labour really changed?’
A Labour insider said the situation was complicated by the fact that nominations for the by-election have closed, making it impossible for the party to replace Mr Ali with another candidate.
Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway, who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties’ refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza.
Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway (pictured), who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties’ refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza
In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for ‘unlawful’ acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn’s four years as party leader. Picture shows protestors awaiting the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn at an event in 2019
The row is an embarrassment for Sir Keir, who claims to have dealt with Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis.
In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for ‘unlawful’ acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn’s four years as party leader.
At the time Sir Keir vowed: ‘Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of anti-Semitism will mean precisely that. If you’re anti-Semitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we’ll make sure you’re not.’
Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census.
The seat became vacant last month following the death of Labour’s Sir Tony Lloyd, who had a majority of almost 10,000.
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