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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is expected to meet Muslim MPs amid reignited tensions in the party over his response to the war between Israel and Hamas, Sky News understands.
Sir Keir has faced criticism in recent weeks after he appeared to suggest in an LBC interview that Israel’s decision to withhold water and power from Gaza was proportionate and justified.
As a result, 23 Labour councillors quit the party.
But despite seeking to clarify his remarks, Sir Keir is now facing a fresh row over his visit to a mosque on Sunday.
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Members of the South Wales Islamic Centre claimed the leader had “gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit” in tweets he sent out afterwards, which it said “put [the centre] and the wider Muslim community into disrepute”.
One party source told Sky News there had been a “pattern of behaviour” from the leadership that had been “deeply insensitive” to the Muslim community and left some MPs and staff “in tears”.
But a Labour Party spokesperson said MPs and councillors had been given the chance to talk to Sir Keir, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow international development secretary Lisa Nandy throughout, adding: “On the humanitarian crisis, all Keir’s statements in the [Commons] have included our calls for water and fuel to be switch back on by Israel.”
The meeting with MPs is expected to happen later today, and Sir Keir is expected to be joined by his deputy leader, Angela Rayner.
How did the row begin?
In the aftermath of Hamas’ terror attack on 7 October,…
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