Labour’s Gaza backlash: Occasion loses management of Oldham Council as Muslim voters accuse it of taking too lengthy to name for ceasefire in Israel-Palestine battle

Labour has right now sensationally misplaced management of Oldham Council after Muslim voters punished the get together over Gaza.

Sir Keir Starmer’s get together has misplaced energy within the city in Higher Manchester – and outgoing councillors say the chief’s face has been plastered on leaflets of independents who took their seats.

Talking right now Sir Keir was requested whether or not his stance on Gaza had been a think about Oldham. He informed the BBC: ‘Tlisted below are some locations the place it is a very sturdy issue… I respect that’.

Regardless of positive aspects throughout England from the Tories in yesterday’s native elections, Labour misplaced management of Oldham after positive aspects by Independents.

The get together’s nationwide marketing campaign coordinator Pat McFadden has admitted the disaster in Gaza has been an ‘problem’ on the doorstep and ‘does get raised’ when requested about Labour’s poor displaying in Oldham.

Polling guru John Curtice mentioned there’s a pattern of the Labour vote falling in areas with excessive Muslim populations.

One Labour Councillor within the personal who misplaced their seat informed the BBC: ‘The principle motive for that is Gaza and anger that the Labour Occasion took too lengthy to name for a ceasefire’ .

Labour continues to be the most important get together on 27 seats – however have misplaced management as a result of there are actually 16 independents in addition to 9 Lib Dems and eight Tory councillors.

Retiring Labour councillor Paul Fryer mentioned final night time: ‘Labour have been in energy in Oldham for 13 years, maybe individuals are a bit uninterested in Labour. In some elements of the borough it is the Gaza problem which will lose them the seat’.

Pat McFadden has admitted the disaster in Gaza has been an ‘problem’ and ‘does get raised’ when requested about Labour’s lack of management in Oldham.

The get together’s nationwide marketing campaign coordinator informed BBC Breakfast: ‘I do suppose that is been a think about some locations, I do not suppose there’s any level in denying that. It does get raised, and I perceive why folks have sturdy emotions about that.’

He mentioned that with ‘so many harmless folks being killed I am not shocked folks have sturdy emotions about that’.

However Mr McFadden added: ‘Along with the Center East problem which you talked about there are particular very native components in Oldham which have knocked it out of line with the Labour positive aspects we have been seeing in native elections.’

Oldham’s Labour council chief Arooj Shah has denied the get together’s lack of management was due to the Gaza disaster, blaming the Tories in Westminster for ’13 years of austerity’.

However elections skilled Rob Ford mentioned final night time that it appeared that Labour was ‘struggling’ in councils with above-average Muslim voter numbers due to the Israel-Palestine battle. 

Arooj Shah informed BBC Radio 4’s At present there had been ‘divisive, poisonous politics’ in Oldham for the final 5 years, predating the struggle within the Center East.

Requested whether or not the loss was linked to Sir Keir Starmer’s place on the battle, Ms Shah mentioned: ‘I do not suppose that is a good assertion to make, on condition that the difficulty of Gaza has been over the past yr however what we have seen in Oldham is loads longer than that… what we’ve had is 13 years of austerity and that is been actually, actually troublesome.’

She added: ‘We have at all times needed to cope with the hand that we have been dealt.’

When it was put to her that it was not the fault of the Tories in Westminster, she replied: ‘Properly, really it’s.’

Away from Oldham, Labour has had a great night time.

Rishi Sunak was given a battering from voters after the Tories have been put to the sword within the Blackpool South by-election – and suffered a swathe of early council losses.

The PM is hunkering down for a grim day as outcomes proceed to stream in, with essentially the most hanging thus far Keir Starmer seizing the Lancashire seat. 

Chris Webb secured a large 26 per cent swing to change into the most recent MP within the Commons – and in a very alarming signal the Conservative candidate barely managed to push Reform into third place, by simply 117 votes.

It’s the seventh parliamentary seat the Tories have misplaced in a by-election since Mr Sunak turned PM in October 2022, six of which have now been gained by Labour – underlining that Sir Keir appears to be like to be on observe for Downing Road.

As English councils began to declare, Labour additionally claimed a ‘really historic end result’ to take Rushmoor – the house of the British Military – from the Tories and finish practically a quarter-of-a century of Conservative management.

Sir Keir additionally noticed wins in Hartlepool and made different positive aspects in key basic election battlegrounds Thurrock and Redditch as they loved early success.

The Tories misplaced management of North East Lincolnshire as Mr Sunak witnessed a dire set of outcomes start to unfold.

In a single brilliant spot, the get together has managed to carry on to regulate of Harlow – which native MP Robert Halfon described as ‘the most important comeback since Lazarus’. 

Labour additionally suffered woes of their very own in Oldham, the place the get together misplaced general management after independents picked up seats in an obvious backlash over the Gaza struggle.  

Nevertheless, polling guru Professor John Curtice mentioned the Tories may very well be on observe to lose 500 councillors – the worst displaying for 40 years – and critics are already stepping up requires Mr Sunak to go.