Muslim group issues Starmer with demands to win back lost votes over Gaza

Campaign tells Labour leader he must commit to ‘real action’ if he wants to rebuild trust with pro-Palestinian voters

A Muslim pressure group has issued Sir Keir Starmer with a list of 18 demands, including ending military ties with Israel, to win back voters who abandoned Labour over Gaza.

The Muslim Vote, a campaign to get Muslim voters to back pro-Palestine candidates, told the Labour leader that he must commit to “real action” and deliver on its requests if he is “serious” about his pledge to rebuild trust with those angered by his stance on the conflict.

As well as committing to cease all military ties with Israel, the demands include recognising Palestine as a state, pledging a travel ban on Israeli politicians involved in the war and apologising for Labour’s initial delay in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The group warned Sir Keir that if he can’t commit to the “real policies”, its supporters will take their votes to the Green Party or Lib Dems.

Analysis by The Telegraph has found Labour’s support plummeted in areas with a high Muslim population, including Oldham, in Greater Manchester, where the party lost control of the council in a shock defeat.

Sir Keir addressed the issue head-on after the result, stressing that he was determined to win back the trust of those who had snubbed his party as a result of his approach to the Gaza war.

But pressed repeatedly on what concrete pledges he would make, he was non-committal.

In a direct response to Sir Keir’s appeal, The Muslim Vote challenged him to meet 18 demands, ranging from apologising for Labour’s handling of the conflict to committing to action in government, should the party win the next election.

Other requests included pledging to remove the definition of extremism introduced by Michael Gove and issuing guidance that Muslims are allowed to pray at school.

Ali Milani, the chair of the Labour Muslim Network, has warned Labour’s position on Gaza “is going to have a serious electoral consequence”, adding: “If I was a Labour MP in Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester, or parts of London or Manchester, I would be seriously concerned.”