Labour Drops Rochdale Candidate After New Comments About Jews In Media

Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali, speaks in Rochdale during the launch of his campaign for the up-coming Rochdale by-election, triggered by the death of Sir Tony Lloyd. Picture date: Wednesday February 7, 2024. 75265899 (Press Association via AP Images)

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer withdrew support for Rochdale’s by-election candidate Azhar Ali late Monday and suspended his party membership after more comments by the candidate surfaced.

Initially endorsed by Starmer, Ali’s candidacy came under intense scrutiny after the Mail On Sunday published details from a secret recording at a Lancashire Labour Party meeting in which Ali suggested Israel had a hand in facilitating a Hamas attack to “green light” invading Gaza.

Ali apologised for those remarks and Labour national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said the party would stand by their candidate and keep him on the ballot paper.

Late Monday, however, the Daily Mail published further statements made by Ali at the same party meeting.

The new recording captures Ali expressing his belief that Labour MP Andy McDonald was unjustly suspended for uttering the phrase “from the river to the sea.” McDonald told a pro-Palestine rally: “Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.” Ali was recorded also telling party colleagues that “the media – along with individuals from certain Jewish segments of the media – were unduly critical of [McDonald].”

Ali also accused Israel of a “land grab” in its current military campaign against Hamas and said the country planned to “get rid” of Palestinians to colonise Gaza.

In the renewed backlash, Labour said it would no longer support Ali in the by-election scheduled for February 29.