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| Labour withdraws support for Rochdale candidate after Israel-Gaza remarks | Labour withdraws support for Rochdale candidate after Israel-Gaza remarks |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Party no longer campaigning for Azhar Ali, who suggested Israel had allowed 7 October attack to happen | Party no longer campaigning for Azhar Ali, who suggested Israel had allowed 7 October attack to happen |
| Labour has “withdrawn its support” for its candidate in the Rochdale byelection after he accused Israel of deliberately allowing the 7 October Hamas attacks. | Labour has “withdrawn its support” for its candidate in the Rochdale byelection after he accused Israel of deliberately allowing the 7 October Hamas attacks. |
| The party is no longer campaigning for Azhar Ali, who was forced to apologise after his remarks were recorded and leaked to the Mail on Sunday. | The party is no longer campaigning for Azhar Ali, who was forced to apologise after his remarks were recorded and leaked to the Mail on Sunday. |
| It is too late for Labour to withdraw Ali as its candidate and replace him with someone else, as the deadline passed on 2 February. The byelection itself will take place on 29 February. | It is too late for Labour to withdraw Ali as its candidate and replace him with someone else, as the deadline passed on 2 February. The byelection itself will take place on 29 February. |
| But on Monday night the party said it no longer endorsed Ali and that he would not have the party whip if elected. A Labour spokesperson said: “Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale byelection. | But on Monday night the party said it no longer endorsed Ali and that he would not have the party whip if elected. A Labour spokesperson said: “Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale byelection. |
| “Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisible from the party of 2019. We understand that these are highly unusual circumstances but it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values. | “Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisible from the party of 2019. We understand that these are highly unusual circumstances but it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values. |
| “Given that nominations have now closed Azhar Ali cannot be replaced as the candidate.” | “Given that nominations have now closed Azhar Ali cannot be replaced as the candidate.” |
| Labour had come under enormous pressure after the previous remarks emerged, with the comments condemned by figures inside the party as well as political opponents. | Labour had come under enormous pressure after the previous remarks emerged, with the comments condemned by figures inside the party as well as political opponents. |
| Earlier on Monday, Starmer was urged to discipline Ali if he became an MP. Some Labour MPs and members had voiced concern at the leadership’s continued support of Ali and his campaign, saying it marks a “huge and disappointing shift” from Starmer’s promises of taking a “zero-tolerance” to antisemitism, and all forms of racism. | |
| Ali, an adviser to the last Labour government on anti-extremism who worked for the Home Office from 2005 to 2010, sparked dismay and anger within the party on Sunday as comments he had made soon after the 7 October attacks surfaced. In them, he suggested Israel had deliberately relaxed security after warnings of an imminent threat. | Ali, an adviser to the last Labour government on anti-extremism who worked for the Home Office from 2005 to 2010, sparked dismay and anger within the party on Sunday as comments he had made soon after the 7 October attacks surfaced. In them, he suggested Israel had deliberately relaxed security after warnings of an imminent threat. |
| “The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier … Americans warned them a day before [that] … there’s something happening,” Ali was heard saying in a recording obtained by the Mail on Sunday. “They deliberately took the security off, they allowed … that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want.” | “The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier … Americans warned them a day before [that] … there’s something happening,” Ali was heard saying in a recording obtained by the Mail on Sunday. “They deliberately took the security off, they allowed … that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want.” |
| More to follow … | More to follow … |