More than 100 Muslim Labour councillors demand Keir Starmer immediately halts arms sales to Israel

LBC can reveal that 114 Muslim Labour councillors have written to the Prime Minister calling for an immediate arms embargo to Israel.

In an open letter, the cohort of elected Labour politicians call for their own party leader Sir Keir Starmer to impose “an immediate and complete suspension of arms sales to Israel”.

Coordinated by the Labour Muslim Network, the letter says “we must not be complicit in these clear violations of international humanitarian law . . . It is our moral obligation to act now. That is why we have come together, as Councillors, as Muslims, and as Labour members to call on this Labour government to meet our moral obligation by suspending all arms sales to Israel until such a time that international humanitarian law is observed and respected”.

The list of Labour Muslim councillors includes senior figures within local authorities with local mayors, council deputy leaders as well as local cabinet members signing the letter. (Rather a lot come from London Borough of Barking and Dagenham; others come from the Northern towns and cities of the grooming gang atrocities) 

The news comes just days after 21 Labour MPs (including some recently suspended) backed a parliamentary motion calling on the government to end “all military exports to Israel”. The cohort of MPs led by Richard Burgon includes Diane Abbot and former Labour Party chair Ian Lavery.