Labour Suspends Second Candidate Over Alleged Israel Comments
The Labour Party has suspended a second parliamentary candidate, Graham Jones, over comments he allegedly made about Israel. This comes after the party withdrew support for Azhar Ali, their candidate for the Rochdale by-election, for making antisemitic remarks. The Jewish Labour Movement has condemned Jones’ alleged comments as “appalling and unacceptable” and expressed satisfaction with his swift suspension.
Jones, the former Labour MP for Hyndburn, had been selected by the party to contest his former Lancashire seat in the upcoming general election. While Labour has yet to identify the specific remarks that led to his suspension, audio published by the Guido Fawkes website captured Jones allegedly using an expletive to refer to Israel and arguing that British people who fight in the Israel Defense Forces “should be locked up.”
In addition to Jones, Azhar Ali is also facing an investigation for his comments. At a meeting, Ali reportedly blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of MP Andy McDonald from Labour. Ali had initially apologized for stating that Israel had “allowed” Hamas attacks as a pretext to invade Gaza, but Labour withdrew support when a fuller recording of his remarks was published by the Daily Mail.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer defended his decision to take “decisive action” against Ali, stating that further information had come to light that warranted withdrawal of support. Starmer emphasized that this move demonstrated the change in the Labour Party under his leadership and his commitment to tackling antisemitism.
However, Starmer has faced criticism for not withdrawing support from Ali sooner. Martin Forde, who led a review into bullying and racism allegations within the party, described the handling of the case as “shambolic” and suggested that support should have been withdrawn when Ali’s comments first emerged. Forde also highlighted concerns among some Labour MPs regarding the uneven handling of antisemitism cases across party factions.
Despite Labour’s withdrawal of support, Ali will still appear as the party’s candidate on the ballot paper due to electoral rules. If elected, he would sit as an independent. Other candidates in the Rochdale by-election include former Labour MPs Simon Danczuk, now representing the Reform Party, and George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain, who has been critical of Labour’s stance on Gaza.
The situation surrounding Jones and Ali has raised questions about the Labour Party’s disciplinary process and its handling of antisemitism cases. While Starmer’s decision to withdraw support has been praised by Lord Mann, the government’s adviser on antisemitism and a former Labour MP, Housing Minister Lee Rowley described the situation as a “complete mess.”
The outcome of the Rochdale by-election will be closely watched, as it will provide insight into the public’s response to the actions taken by Labour and its candidates’ controversial comments. The party’s ability to effectively address and tackle antisemitism within its ranks will also be under scrutiny, as Starmer continues to assert his commitment to eradicating this issue from the party.