Starmer has handled Gaza badly say four in five elected Labour Muslim representatives

A major survey has revealed that 82 percent of Britain's Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors believe Prime Minister Keir Starmer has handled Israel's war on Gaza "badly".

The poll of over 220 elected Muslim representatives by the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) reveals that two-thirds do not believe Muslim representatives are treated equally to others in the Labour party.

Most of them - 64 percent - believe Labour operates a "hierarchy of racism".

The findings, released on Thursday, indicate widespread discontent among Muslim Labour representatives over the party's handling of Islamophobia - and a dramatic disjuncture between their views and the Labour government's policy on Israel.

The survey revealed 82 percent of Muslim Labour representatives support sanctions against Israel. 

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And 97 percent support immediately recognising the state of Palestine, which the government is rumoured to be gearing up to do at a UN conference later this month. 

The study also shows that one in three Muslim Labour representatives have directly experienced Islamophobia within Labour and believe the party is institutionally Islamophobic. 

Some 53 percent say Labour does not take Islamophobia seriously, while 58 percent believe the Labour government has "represented Muslims badly".

Muslims treated 'fundamentally differently'

"This new groundbreaking research confirms what many Muslim representatives have been telling us for many years: Muslims in the Labour Party are fundamentally treated differently," the LMN said. 

"The Labour Muslim Network presents this report as a call to action.

"A renewed commitment to Muslim representation, rooted in equality and justice.

"The party must urgently address the structural issues identified in this report or face the moral and political consequences to come."

Significantly, the survey reveals widespread opposition to the government's policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), with 83 percent of Labour Muslim representatives saying Labour must end its boycott.

Consecutive governments have followed a policy of refusing to engage with the MCB - despite it having over 500 member organisations, including mosques, schools, local and county councils, professional networks and advocacy groups.

Starmer's government adopted this approach and even ignored communications from the MCB during the far-right riots that raged across the country for over a week last August.

"Our Labour Party cannot credibly claim to be an anti-racist movement while ignoring the testimonies and experiences of its own Muslim elected officials," the LMN said.

"We cannot rebuild trust with Muslim communities while continuing to boycott Muslim institutions, or while punishing representatives who speak out on international law and justice."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "The Labour Party is proud of the diversity of our party, including the increase in the number of Muslim MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party and having the first Muslim Lord Chancellor in Shabana Mahmood, and the first Muslim Mayor of London in Sadiq Khan.

"We take any complaints of discrimination, including Islamophobia, seriously. All complaints are assessed in line with our complaints policies and procedures through our independent complaints system."

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