Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Batley ‘warning’ for Labour

Batley ‘warning’ for Labour

LABOUR has been urged to engage with Asian communities and “treat them as individuals”, as polls suggest its popularity with Muslim voters is dwindling.

The call comes after the party’s victory in the Batley and Spen by-election last week, with candidate Kim Leadbeater, the younger sister of Jo Cox, who was fatally stabbed by a white supremacist in the constituency in 2016, securing the seat with a narrow margin of 323 votes.


However, the by-election has raised questions about Labour’s relationship with Asian communities. A recent Labour Muslim Network poll said while Muslim voters traditionally cast their ballot for Labour candidates, support for the party was waning.

Some Muslims are reportedly upset about Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s approach on the Israel and Palestine issue during the recent Gaza raids, and for the party’s stance on Kashmir. The south Asian region is claimed and administered by both India and Pakistan. Under previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, Labour adopted a resolution on human rights “abuses” in Kashmir at its annual conference, which was criticised by UK and Indian MPs as well as the wider Asian community in Britain.

A controversial Labour campaign leaflet distributed to Muslim voters in the west Yorkshire Batley and Spen constituency, which featured a picture of prime minister Boris Johnson alongside his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, was also criticised.

GettyImages 1322844660 1 Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer and the new Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater

Andrew Harrop, general secretary of the Fabian Society, said the opposition had to ensure it upheld “strong ties” with south Asian communities. “(The party can do this) by talking, listening, and making sure they are represented within the Labour party at every level,” he told Eastern Eye.

But Harrop warned that it would be a mistake to assume historical and cultural issues (such as Kashmir) were the sole factors in deciding how the Asian community votes. “South Asian voters in Batley and Spen have much the same concerns as everyone else in the constituency,” he said. “They care about crime, jobs, schools and healthcare.”

The party should not treat any group of voters as a single block, with narrow policies targeted just at them, Harrop added. “It is patronising and creates division. Labour should be treating everyone as individuals and trying to build bridges between people from different backgrounds,” he said.

Talking about the loss of confidence from the Muslim population, Labour’s Naz Shah admitted the party needed to focus on bringing back those voters “into the heart of the Labour party”. The Bradford West MP told Channel 4 News: “(The Labour party) is the ethnic minority population’s natural home.”

Fellow Labour MP Shabana Mahmood admitted the party did have “significant issues” while attempting to engage with Muslim voters in Batley and Spen. “George Galloway was able to go in and spread a politics of fear among people,” the Birmingham Ladywood representative told Sky News. “We also had a lot of propaganda being spread about Labour’s position on some issues across WhatsApp and other social media platforms.”

Galloway, who collected one-fifth of the vote with his Worker’s Party group, was accused of campaigning for an “anti woke” agenda which attacked LGBT rights, the trans community and sex education in schools.

DP George Galloway GettyImages 1313465992 Worker's Party leader George Galloway's was accused of conducting a “negative, angry and aggressive campaign"

Nick Lowles, CEO of anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, said Galloway’s “negative, angry and aggressive campaign created a toxic climate on the ground”.

Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi MP agreed that Galloway’s campaign “sought to incite division” within the community. “(Galloway’s campaign) resorted to dirty tactics and lied about Labour’s campaign,” the Bolton Southeast MP told Eastern Eye. “He will leave Batley and Spen and will not take a second to look back.”

Harrop agreed that the close race was partly down to Galloway’s “toxic and divisive campaign”. “It won the support of a share of the seat’s Asian voters, making this a very volatile election,” he noted.

However, Harrop said Galloway’s campaign was ultimately one of the factors which may have helped Labour to victory. “The toxic politics introduced by George Galloway in a seat that has seen more than enough of hatred led to a reaction, with a lot of people wanting to reward Kim Leadbeater for her decency and bravery,” he said.

Harrop also blamed the Brexit debate which he said was still affecting Labour’s relationship with many of its historic voters in the north of England. “(Tory prime minister) Boris Johnson has been seen to deliver Brexit, and now has successfully rolled out the vaccine programme,” he said.

Shah admitted the party could not dismiss the small margins of the win. “There is lots of work for us to do,” she said. “But we’ve got an opportunity now, and what this win demonstrates is that unity and hope survives. (It’s) about bringing our party together and the hope we can get for people, our members and the wider people of Great Britain when we head into the next general election.”

More For You

Shabana Mahmood
Shabana Mahmood (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

New report shows 'how we can actually stop the boats'

HOME SECRETARY Shabana Mahmood can adopt a bigger and bolder approach combining “control and compassion” in reducing the number of asylum seekers arriving on UK shores via small boats, a new report out today (18) said.

Britain on Thursday (18) returned the first migrant - an Indian national - to France under a new "one-in, one-out" deal, which Mahmood hailed as “an important first step to securing our borders".

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer, Trump hail renewal of 'special relationship'

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer (right) with US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch members of the Red Devils Army parachute display team at Chequers, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, on day two of the president's second state visit to the UK. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer, Trump hail renewal of 'special relationship'

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and British prime minister Keir Starmer hailed the renewal of their nations' "special relationship" on Thursday (18), drawing the US leader's unprecedented second state visit to a close with a show of unity after avoiding possible pitfalls.

At a warm press conference when the two leaders glossed over differences on Gaza and wind power to present a united front, Trump said Russian president Vladimir Putin had "let him down" and he was disappointed other countries were still buying Russian oil because only a low oil price would punish Moscow.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kamal Pankhania
Kamal Pankhania
Kamal Pankhania

Exclusive: Asians emerge as major donors to political parties

ASIAN business leaders have emerged among the most prominent donors to UK political parties in the second quarter of 2025, new figures from the Electoral Commission showed.

Among individual Asian donors, Kamal Pankhania and Haridas (Harish) Sodha stood out with £100,000 contributions each. Pankhania’s gift to the Conservatives in June and Sodha’s support for Labour in April were the largest Asian donations recorded during the second quarter of this year, data released on September 4 showed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tributes paid to entrepreneur and philanthropist Rafiq M Habib

Rafiq M Habib (Photo: Habib University Foundation)

Tributes paid to entrepreneur and philanthropist Rafiq M Habib

TRIBUTES have been paid to Rafiq M Habib, a prominent Asian business leader, philanthropist and founding chancellor of Habib University, who passed away in Dubai earlier this month. He was 88.

News of his death was confirmed by Habib University, which described him as the “moral and visionary force” behind its creation. “His calm resolve and integrity shaped every step of this journey, and his belief in education’s role in serving the greater good continues to guide our mission,” the university said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
migrant crossings

The man is suspected of using online platforms to advertise illegal boat crossings

AFP via Getty Images

Asian man held in Birmingham for advertising migrant crossings online

AN ASIAN man has been arrested in Birmingham as part of an investigation into the use of social media to promote people smuggling, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday (15).

The 38-year-old British Pakistani man was detained during an NCA operation in the Yardley area. He is suspected of using online platforms to advertise illegal boat crossings between North Africa and Europe.

Keep ReadingShow less