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The greatest concern in Sir Keir\u2019s office is over Leicester council, where a potential flurry of resignations could see Labour lose control of the city for the first time in 16 years.<\/p>\n
Video calls to Labour council leaders from across the UK with David Lammy were reported to have gone badly, with participants warning that Labour has \u201cdays\u201d to change his approach.<\/p>\n
Last week, seven of Leicester\u2019s Labour Muslim councillors published a letter \u201cunequivocally distancing\u201d themselves from Keir Starmer\u2019s support for Israel and demanding he apologise.<\/p>\n
An insider told the Telegraph: \u201cI have never seen so much disdain from the local Muslim voting public towards the Labour Party as I have done over this week.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n \u201cOn a daily basis, we\u2019re being looked at as if \u2018why are you still here defending Labour\u2019 because of the position that\u2019s been taken nationally.<\/p>\n “If it carries on the way it is, we could well see a number of resignations.<\/p>\n \u201cI know two or three councillors are on the verge of resigning. That\u2019s how strongly they feel about it \u2013 they just feel they\u2019re not being heard. Even I am astounded at the backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has gone beyond difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Sir Keir is trapped between a rock and a hard place on this issue, having to distance himself from the infamous position of Jeremy Corbyn, and appeasing his party\u2019s Muslim councillors, members and voters.<\/p>\n Two councillors in Oxford quit last week, taking aim at Keir Starmer\u2019s \u201chorrifying rhetoric\u201d.<\/p>\n They were shortly joined by a councillor in Stroud and one in Manchester.<\/p>\n A council leader told the Zoom call with Mr Lammy and Ms Gray that they have more than a dozen councillors threatening to resign, and demanded something be done to appease them.<\/p>\n A source told ITV the entire meeting was a \u201ctotal mess\u201d, with others saying they were \u201cshocked\u201d at how desperate some council leaders are.<\/p>\n
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