Muslim Vote fringe group hands Keir Starmer list of 18 'dangerous' demands before it stops campaign to unseat Labour MPs - including allowing Islamic prayer in schools and public sector Israel boycott, and apologising for 'greenlighting Gaza genocide'
- Labour leader was hit with extraordinary list collated by The Muslim Vote
- Starmer was told he must apologise for failure to back a ceasefire last autumn
- Demands include recognising state of Palestine and imposing Israeli sanctions
Sir Keir Starmer has been told to apologise for 'greenlighting' Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza and allow Islamic prayer in all schools by a fringe group threatening to stand against Labour MPs at the general election.
Muslim Vote has handed the opposition leader an extraordinary list of 18 'dangerous' demands that he must agree to carry out, or it plans to try to scupper his hopes of taking power.
The little-known group has suggested it could target 55 MPs who have failed to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
It comes after Labour lost control of Oldham Council in last week's local election, a loss partly blamed on Sir Keir's position on Gaza.
He is facing calls from the left of the party to take a more partisan line on the conflict, with Israel today beginning a bloody assault on Rafah, a town on the Egypt border crammed full of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Among Muslim Vote's other demands is that Sir Keir support a public sector boycott of Israel, sanctions and a travel ban against senior politicians, severe UK military ties and recognise the state of Palestine.
Its domestic policy demands include ensuring Muslim pupils can pray at school, ditching a new Government definition of extremism and guaranteeing 'Sharia-compliant' pensions are available in every workplace.
The Muslim Vote has issued 18 demands to Sir Keir Starmer after he promised to win back the trust of voters alienated by his stance on the Middle East conflict
Muslim Vote has handed the opposition leader an extraordinary list of 18 'dangerous' demands that he must agree to carry out, or it plans to try to scupper his hopes of taking power.
The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday and its tanks pushed into the southern Gazan town of Rafah after a night of air strikes on the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday and its tanks pushed into the southern Gazan town of Rafah after a night of air strikes on the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli offensive took place as mediators struggled to secure a ceasefire agreement between Israel and its Hamas foes and as the conflict entered its 8th month.
The Palestinian militant group said late on Monday it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands.
Amid international concern over the plight of civilians crammed into Rafah, Israeli tanks and planes attacked several areas and houses there overnight. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes across the enclave had killed 54 Palestinians and wounded 96 others in the past 24 hours.
More than one million people have sought refuge in Rafah, living in tented camps and makeshift shelters. Many are trying to leave, heeding Israeli orders for them to evacuate, but with large areas of the coastal enclave already laid to waste, they say they have nowhere safe to go to.
The Israeli military said a limited operation in Rafah was meant to kill fighters and dismantle infrastructure used by Hamas, which governs the besieged Palestinian territory.
Sir Keir hit out today, saying that Israel should not go ahead with the attack. He called for 'an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded aid into Gaza that can be delivered regularly, quickly and safely.'
But figures on the Labour left went further. Former shadow minister Richard Burgon said: 'Our Government must do more than issue yet more hollow statements if it is to help prevent what would be an unimaginable bloodbath in Rafah. It must act. Starting by ending arms sales to Israel.'
His call for an end to arms sales was echoed by newly re-elected London mayor Sadiq Khan, while Bradford East MP Imran Hussain added: 'An attack on Rafah where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering is a war crime, and it must be met with consequences.'
The Muslim Vote – which is endorsing pro-Palestine candidates ahead of the general election – said if Sir Keir 'can't commit' then the Green Party or Liberal Democrats 'would be happy to take the votes'.
Labour has not yet responded to the group publicly and last night declined to say if it would do so. But the party was urged by senior MPs not to cave in to its demands.
Tory MP Andrew Percy, who previously said in the Commons that he feels safer in Israel than Britain, told the Mail: 'Some of these demands are outright dangerous for the security of the UK and the future of our democratic values.
'Starmer has a choice to make.
The Israeli offensive took place as mediators struggled to secure a ceasefire agreement between Israel and its Hamas foes and as the conflict entered its 8th month.
'He can either be on the side of the liberal mainstream majority in this country or he can lean into sectarian identity-based politics.
'UK politics is facing an increasing threat from extremism and division and many of these demands would do nothing to prevent that and everything to increase divisions.'
He added: 'If Keir Starmer really has changed the Labour Party and moved on from the anti-Semitism scandal that plagued it, he should show leadership by rejecting calls that specifically target the world's only Jewish state.'
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This is shaping up to become a very big issue.
'It is a threat to our democracy and this amounts to nothing more or less than political blackmail.
'The threat is that they won't vote for Labour.
'If you give in to blackmail it never stops and others will see you are weak.'
It comes after the Mail reported that dozens of councillors were elected in last week's local elections after campaigning primarily on the issue of Gaza, in many cases either defecting from the Labour Party or beating its candidates.
Labour chairman Anneliese Dodds insisted yesterday the party 'did call for that immediate humanitarian ceasefire and ensured that Parliament had a vote on it'.
Asked on ITV why some voters were still calling for a stronger position on Gaza from Sir Keir, she said: 'I said it was important that Labour had that discussion with people, that we understand why people may have previously supported Labour and have shifted away from that support.
'All of the party is committed to that.'
Tory MP Andrew Percy called some of the demands 'outright dangerous' for the security of the UK 'and the future of our democratic values'
