{"id":120558,"date":"2023-10-25T08:09:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T08:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/?p=120558"},"modified":"2023-10-25T08:09:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T08:09:06","slug":"starmer-and-rayner-hatch-crisis-talks-as-labour-risks-haemorrhaging-votes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/politics\/starmer-and-rayner-hatch-crisis-talks-as-labour-risks-haemorrhaging-votes\/","title":{"rendered":"Starmer and Rayner hatch crisis talks as Labour risks ‘haemorrhaging votes’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lisa Nandy grilled on Keir Starmer’s position on Israel<\/h3>\n

Labour stands on the brink of a new internal crisis today, as Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are being forced into another meeting with Muslim MPs and peers over the party\u2019s stance over Palestine.<\/p>\n

The Labour leadership is set to hold crisis talks with their troops after Prime Minister’s Questions, as one source claims the relationship is now \u201cterminal\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sir Keir has been trying to walk a tightrope over the Israel-Gaza war since Hamas launched its bloodthirsty attack earlier this month, determined to signal to voters he is not Jeremy Corbyn while appeasing pro-Palestinian members.<\/p>\n

The leadership has already haemorrhaged councillors, with over two dozen quitting the party in fury over Sir Keir\u2019s stance.<\/p>\n

In an LBC interview shortly after the war broke out, Sir Keir appeared to back Israel cutting off supplies, water and energy to the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Keir Starmer rumbled after ‘turning up to mosque uninvited and making Imam cry’<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One Labour MP has now told Politico they have received 1,000 emails from constituents, the majority of whom are not Muslim voters.<\/p>\n

Another said Sir Keir\u2019s handling of the row is \u201cinfuriating a lot of people\u201d.<\/p>\n

A shadow minister said: \u201cIt\u2019s united MPs on the left, right and centre of the party \u2026 There\u2019s no recognition that we are haemorrhaging Muslim votes massively, enough to lose seats if there was an election tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahead of the lunchtime showdown, a source told The Times: \u201cThey don\u2019t want words but action\u2026 the relationship is becoming terminal.\u201d<\/p>\n

This morning, Labour frontbencher Darren Jones downplayed the crisis, describing this afternoon’s gathering as a \u201croutine meeting\u201d where people can raise concerns on behalf of their constituents.<\/p>\n

He described Sir Keir’s position on Israel and Palestine as “right”.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the second attempt in as many weeks by the Labour leadership to calm the internal civil war on the issue.<\/p>\n

Last week, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Chief of Staff Sue Gray held a mass phone call with local leaders about the party\u2019s messaging on Gaza, in response to warnings of mass councillor resignations.<\/p>\n

The talks were described as \u201cheated\u201d, with Labour being warned they \u201conly have days to act\u201d to avoid such a crisis.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong>
Senior Tories slam party’s ‘shameful’ anti-housing policy at cross-party rally[LATEST] <\/strong>
Steve Coogan says Starmer\u2019s Labour leadership has left him politically homeless[LATEST] <\/strong>
Demands for Labour MP to delete claims Israel caused Gaza hospital blast[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n