DAILY MAIL COMMENT: PERILS OF PANDERING TO SECTARIAN POLITICS

From his profile on the Green Party website, Mothin Ali comes across as a most agreeable soul. An accountant by profession, he volunteers for charity, loves horticulture, and is passionate about ‘community wellbeing’.

On being elected to Leeds City Council, however, he presented an angrier and far more sinister face. As supporters unfurled a Palestinian flag behind him, he launched into a rant about Labour’s failure to back a Gaza ceasefire.

‘We will not be silenced,’ he said. ‘We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu Akbar (God is great).’

Quite what Leeds city council is supposed to do about the war in Gaza, or why it should have any part in the role of a local councillor, was unclear, but Mr Ali’s election was not some eccentric one-off.

In a raft of northern wards with large Muslim communities, Labour was forced out by a loose affiliation of independent and Green candidates united more by a loathing of Israel than any concerns about local transport or bin collection.

In some areas Labour’s vote fell by up to 40 per cent, giving Sir Keir Starmer a serious electoral headache. He says he wants to ‘win back the trust’ of pro-Palestinians, but how far will he go to do it?

As we have seen from the swastikas brandished at marches across the country, anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism often go hand in hand. So, would the Labour leader be prepared to turn a blind eye to bigotry for short-term political gain?

And if he did support a permanent Israeli ceasefire, what would the zealots demand next? Recognition of Hamas? An embargo on trade with Israel?

The Labour leader has a sorry record of flip-flopping on major issues. If he is to retain any moral credibility, he must stand firm on this one.

Pandering to sectarianism would be an affront to democracy and a betrayal of British Jews. It would also torpedo his claim to have purged Labour of anti-Semitism.

Time for Tory unity

DESPITE their drubbing in the local polls, there may yet be a narrow path to Tory recovery before the general election.

Labour’s vote was down on last year and psephologists believe they are not yet certain of a Westminster majority. Also the turnout was pitifully low, as disenchanted Conservatives stayed at home.

Rishi Sunak’s overriding mission is to coax them back into the fold. He’s already taking the fight to Sir Keir on tax, immigration and identity politics. He must double down on those and the many other issues where Labour is weak.

Above all, Tory MPs must show unity and self-belief. There isn’t much time to turn things around. But with hard work and a sense of common purpose, it can be done.

King’s testing year

IN the year since his coronation, King Charles has had much to deal with. The illness of the Princess of Wales, the continuing Harry and Meghan saga and, of course, his own cancer treatment.

Thankfully he’s now well enough to come back to work. Charles has been a steady hand on the royal tiller since the death of his beloved mother, as demonstrated by a Mail on Sunday poll at the weekend showing strong support for both him and the institution he heads.

To the chagrin of republicans everywhere, the monarchy appears to be safe in his hands for the foreseeable future.

2024-05-06T00:28:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd