The contents of this article should not be taken as advice on who to vote for in the 2024 UK general election. We are merely sharing a select number of candidates’ opinions on the Gaza genocide to help you make an informed and independent decision.
All candidate opinions presented in this article are true as of 7 June 2024.
Regardless of the UK’s domestic problems (take your pick, from knife crime, poverty, homelessness to the crumbling NHS), a British Muslim’s vote is likely to exclusively be based on a candidate’s stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
So, what are candidates saying about the Palestinian genocide in your constituency?
There are 650 constituencies in the UK.
Here’s a selected breakdown.
Faiza Shaheen – Chingford and Woodford Green, London
Faiza Shaheen was dropped as the Labour Party candidate in her constituency after liking pro-Palestine posts on social media.
She supports a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution that recognizes issues with settlements in the West Bank.
Jess Phillips – Birmingham Yardley, Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding
Jess Phillips resigned from her frontbench role to vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, defying Labour leader Keir Starmer’s instructions to abstain.
Afzal Khan – Manchester Gorton, Shadow Minister for Exports
Afzal Khan resigned from his frontbench role to vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, defying Labour leader Keir Starmer’s instructions to abstain.
Yasmin Qureshi – Bolton South East, Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Yasmin Qureshi resigned from her frontbench role to vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, defying Labour leader Keir Starmer’s instructions to abstain.
Sabira Lakha – Harrow East
Sabira wrote the following on X:
“In spite of the ICJ ruling of plausible genocide and order to stop all attacks on Rafah, we witnessed an unspeakably horrific slaughter of displaced innocents in Rafah!!
How much more bloodletting before both the Tory and Labour parties censure and sanction Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians???
Justice and international law are clearly not equal for all. To the UK’s main political parties, some lives undoubtedly matter more than others!”
Jeremy Corbyn – Islington North
The former Labour leader, now an independent, Jeremy Corbyn, has continually been vocal about the ongoing Palestinian genocide and goes to nearly every protest.
His latest statement on the genocide:
“Palestinian children should wake up feeling excited to go to school and play with their friends.
Instead, for those murdered in Rafah, their last moments on this earth were filled with unimaginable fear as bombs rained down on their tents.
What a monstrous failure of humanity.”
Dawn Butler – Brent Central
Dawn states:
“Israel does not have the right to breach international law and does not have the right to inflict collective punishment on Palestinian civilians. The actions of Israel in Gaza have been inhumane.
How many more thousands of innocent civilians need to be killed on both sides before our political leaders say enough is enough? We must always think about humanity first and use the language of peace.
I continue to hold interfaith meetings and meetings with local Jewish, Muslim and civic community leaders, who have been a beacon of hope and bravery here in Brent and beyond.
We must preserve peace on the streets of Brent and schools must be able to remain open and Jewish people must be able to continue with their way of life safely in the UK. We must all stand together in the pursuit of peace. Extend an arm of friendship to neighbours across all faiths and none.
I categorically condemn any instances of Antisemitism and Islamophobia. We must not allow hatred to flourish. Our Borough of Brent is a beacon of hope.
I remain clear that a negotiated ceasefire on both sides is the only way to protect civilians, release the hostages and the only way towards achieving peace in the region. I will keep pushing for this in Parliament.”
Important: Although Dawn wants a ceasefire in Gaza, she still feels Israel has the right to defend itself. Please keep this in mind. Some of her opinions are problematic, but overall, she wants the killings of innocent Palestinians to stop (which can be argued is the most important thing right now).
Barry Gardiner – Brent North
Barry Gardiner’s views and actions on the situation in Gaza reflect his strong stance against Israel’s recent offensive and his broader advocacy for humanitarian support and ceasefire.
Key points from his recent activities and statements include:
Barry criticized Israel’s evacuation order for 1.4 million people in Rafah, labeling it “impractical and inhumane.” He noted that humanitarian aid agencies would struggle to reach the expanded humanitarian area of Al Mawasi, which has been previously targeted by the IDF, causing doubts about its safety.
He has consistently advocated for an end to UK arms sales to Israel. Barry signed Early Day Motion 177 and appeared on Times Radio to argue for this cessation. He also engaged with other MPs, such as Richard Graham, to discuss rethinking UK arms sales if the Rafah offensive proceeded.
Barry co-signed a letter with Zarah Sultana, urging the UK Government to uphold the independence of the ICC in its investigations into Gaza, calling for condemnation of any threats to its impartiality.
Barry has taken every opportunity to vote for a ceasefire and has actively called for it through media appearances. He highlighted the importance of moral leadership from Keir Starmer and criticized the notion that a ceasefire would merely “freeze” the situation.
Zarah Sultana – Coventry South
Zarah unreservedly supports a ceasefire.
Her most recent statement:
“An Israeli airstrike hit a UN school in Gaza this morning, killing dozens of women and children.
The school had become a shelter for Palestinians already displaced by Israeli bombing.
It is a disgrace that British-made weapons could be being used to commit crimes like this.”
Rupa Huq – Ealing Central and Acton
Rupa Huq supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. She was one of the 56 Labour MPs who voted in Parliament to back a motion for a ceasefire in November 2023. In January 2024, she questioned the Foreign Office Minister about the crisis in Gaza and received a government response to her query in April 2024.
Despite the dissolution of Parliament for the general election, Huq has committed to continuing her pressure on the government regarding the Israel-Gaza war.
To get an accurate view of what your constituency candidate says about the Gaza ceasefire, please refer to their vote in the most recent ceasefire resolution, which took place in the UK in November 2023.
Simply click here, scroll down to the blue box and type in your postcode to view how they voted.
