RICHARD HOLDEN: The Spectre of sectarian politics is seeping in

Sectarianism, an old word for aggressive identity politics, still exists on the periphery of a couple of our football clubs. More broadly, in politics, it has been on the wane for decades as things shifted to what individuals think is best for this country, rather than what religious or cultural background people have. But last week saw a fundamental gear shift.

Local elections are about who you want to get planning decisions right, bring jobs to your town and get your bins collected on time.

Councils shouldn’t be debating chambers for foreign policy matters, but sadly many have become just that.

These elections have been used by some as an opportunity to pretend to be in the United Nations and voice their opinions on the Middle East, and as we have seen, all too often, quickly shifted into anti-Semitism. We are all shocked by the bloodshed in Gaza and we want to see a pause to the conflict that leads to lasting and sustainable peace. But to ignore the basic premise that Israel has the right to defend itself also ignores the actions of Hamas.

In Leeds, Green Party councillor Mothin Ali celebrated his election by shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ just a few feet from the only Jewish member of the council. He claimed his victory was ‘for the people of Gaza’ – not the voters who elected him. And he has a history of this behaviour, previously harassing a Jewish university chaplain into hiding.

In London, Starmer stayed schtum while Sadiq Khan deployed a calculated dog-whistle attack on the Chief Rabbi just a week before polling

But Ali is not alone. There are three more newly elected Green councillors also accused of anti-Semitism.

It is unbelievable that it needs to be said there should be no place in mainstream parties for this brand of politics. But it’s not just the Green Party which has allowed sectarianism to infiltrate.

Moreover, George Galloway has endorsed candidates who are Independents, Greens, and even Lib Dems as he tries to put the Middle East conflict at the heart of local government.

While Labour professes change from the anti-Semitic gutter politics that saw it being only the second political party ever to be found to have acted unlawfully by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (the other being the BNP), you would be mistaken to fall for its updated veneer. Sir Keir Starmer says he has changed Labour but in Rochdale, he had no qualms sending out his Shadow Cabinet to bat for their candidate after he claimed Israel had allowed the October 7 attacks.

In London, Starmer stayed schtum while Sadiq Khan deployed a calculated dog-whistle attack on the Chief Rabbi just a week before polling. Khan only apologised days later, after his remarks had already lit up WhatsApp groups.

And Sir Keir had no problem with Wes Streeting suggesting those who voted Conservative, including some of his own constituents, were ‘white supremacists’ and ‘Islamophobes’ – a step up from when Angela Rayner called us ‘scum’. Streeting still hasn’t apologised and has doubled down on his claims.

In Leeds, Green Party councillor Mothin Ali celebrated his election by shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ just a few feet from the only Jewish member of the council

Be under no illusion: Labour is willing to pander and embrace this new sectarianism when it thinks it will help it at an election.

The fact Labour’s newly minted mayor of the West Midlands used one of his first public statements and big broadcast interviews to dictate a new foreign policy position for Labour on Israel shows that, politically, the party is trying to shore up its sectarian voter strategy rather than deliver for the West Midlands.

Make no mistake, the spectre of sectarianism is seeping in as we see the fallout of the Gaza conflict spilling out – on to the streets of London, campus protests, and now in the ballot box.

At the general election, we face an inflection point. If we allow our political climate to indulge this dangerous sectarian identity politics, we will be turning our back on decades of progress.

Parties that indulge in it should not be rewarded, otherwise our country will take a one-way ticket backwards.