Labour has dropped its support for candidate Azhar Ali for this month's Rochdale by-election in the wake of controversial comments he made about the October 7 attacks on Israel.
In line with electoral law, Labour cannot replace Ali with another candidate because the deadline passed on February 2. If he were elected, he would serve as an independent MP.
On Monday evening, the Daily Mail released a recording, allegedly of Ali, blaming "people in the media from certain Jewish quarters" for the suspension of Andy McDonald from the Labour Party.
McDonald received a suspension after saying, "We will not rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis, and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty." He continued that Israel planned to get rid of Palestinians from Gaza and grab the land.
He also appears to boast about stopping the flying of Israeli flags from nearby public buildings following the deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on October 7.
A Labour spokesperson said that Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognizable from the party of 2019 and that it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values.
Labour had spent days defending Ali as a candidate after the Daily Mail released comments apparently from Ali, stating that Israel had "allowed" the Hamas attack.
Later, Ali expressed regret and apologized "to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments." Labour's National Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden said Ali was suspended after discovering "more comments."
According to Labour sources, campaigners in Rochdale received instructions from party headquarters to cease distributing flyers and using social media on Ali's behalf at 5:30 pm on Monday.
McFadden claimed, "The fact you have got very rare circumstances where a political party is withdrawing support for a candidate after nominations have closed" showed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was serious about "rooting antisemitism out of the Labour party."
Furthermore, Labour has been under intense pressure, with opposition politicians and party members widely denouncing Ali since his comments about Israel initially came to light.
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Groups Against Antisemitism Speak out
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said that Starmer had blotted an otherwise admirable copybook and gave the public a reason to question the sincerity of his pledge to eradicate antisemitism 'by its roots' in Labour.
Furthermore, the spokesperson claimed that people will have to judge whether the additional reported comments by Ali are any worse than those that had already been reported.
Rather than appearing as a principled decision, the spokesperson noted that the Labour's withdrawal of support for Ali at this late stage looks as expedient as the failed attempt to defend him.
Rochdale activists expressed their disbelief at Ali's comments, pointing out that he was well-known for being an ally and for being in favor of eliminating antisemitism from the party. They believe this is the reason the leadership showed him some sympathy.
