Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

MP accuses Starmer of ignoring Muslim voters

Labour MP Apsana Begum claimed the Prime Minister failed to “assure British Muslims he was listening� to their frustrations

MP accuses Starmer of ignoring Muslim voters

AN ASIAN-ORIGIN Labour MP has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for his failure to address the concerns of Muslim voters about his record on the Gaza crisis, The Telegraph reports.

Apsana Begum, who won from Poplar and Limehouse, claimed the Prime Minister failed to “assure British Muslims he was listening” to their frustrations.


The Left-wing Labour MP said that the prime minister in a TV interview refused to acknowledge that he had a problem at hand and kept harping on the 'strong mandate' the Labour party got in the July 4 election.

During an interview with ITV News, Starmer was asked if he was concerned about losing support in areas with a high Muslim population.

He sidestepped the issue and kept dwelling upon the Labour party winning people's mandate.

When pressed on the issue of trust with British Muslims, he said: “Well, we’ve got a strong mandate, of course where we didn’t secure the votes we’ll address that. But I don’t think there’s any disputing the strength of the mandate that we have.”

Apsana said Starmer's response did not acknowledge the need to build trust amongst British Muslims who feel that Labour has let them down.

She said a lot of voters have serious concerns about Starmer's record on Gaza, Islamophobia and immigration. He lost an opportunity to address their concerns, she added.

The Gaza conflict has proved divisive for Labour, and Starmer has been facing criticism for his initial refusal to back a ceasefire.

Apsana said Starmer's infamous comments supporting Israel’s right to cut off electricity to Gaza had angered many erstwhile Labour voters.

During the recent election, Labour faced reverses in areas with a large Muslim population.

The party lost to four new independent MPs in Blackburn, Dewsbury and Batley, Birmingham Perry Barr and Leicester South. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a long-term supporter of the Palestinian cause, also defeated the official Labour candidate in Islington North.

Among the Labour losers included Jonathan Ashworth, the party’s former shadow paymaster general. He lost from Leicester South to independent candidate Shockat Adam, who dedicated his victory to the people of Gaza.

This group of five pro-Palestine MPs has effectively become the sixth-largest party in the Commons, on par with Reform UK and the Democratic Unionist Party.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less