Highlights: In the United Kingdom, the Labor Party withdrew from two of its parliamentary candidates in less than 24 hours. At issue: their anti-Semitic comments about Israel. Keir Starmer wanted to put out the fire as quickly as possible, even if it meant losing two seats in Parliament. Political scientist Steven Fielding: "I don't think these cases are going to have a big effect on the vote. The Labor Party will win the election’s’ For the moment, the opposition party is still leading in the polls for the elections this fall 2024.

In the United Kingdom, the Labor Party withdrew from two of its parliamentary candidates in less than 24 hours. At issue: their anti-Semitic comments about Israel.

United Kingdom: Keir Starmer, Labor boss, cleans up the party

In the United Kingdom, the Labor Party withdrew from two of its parliamentary candidates in less than 24 hours. At issue: their anti-Semitic comments about Israel.

Keir Starmer, leader of the British Labor Party, on January 23, 2024 in the UK House of Commons. © Maria Unger / UK PARLIAMENT via REUTERS

By: RFI Follow

Keir Starmer wanted to put out the fire as quickly as possible, even if it meant losing two seats in Parliament. The

British

party suspended former MP and candidate for the next legislative elections Graham Jones on Tuesday evening pending the outcome of an investigation into anti-Israel remarks made during a meeting in the fall of 2023. He is notably accused of for saying Britons who join the Israeli army should be “

locked up

”.

The party also withdrew the nomination from candidate Azhar Ali ahead of a by-election on February 29. At the same meeting, he argued that Israel had deliberately allowed Hamas to attack it on its soil on October 7, in order to then justify an invasion of the Gaza Strip. He had apologized, but was withdrawn after other comments emerged, in which he accused "

the media and certain people from Jewish neighborhoods working in the media

" of having acted in favor of the suspension of Andy McDonald , a former pro-Palestinian Labor MP.

Labor still favorite for the legislative elections

Keir Starmer promised to “

change

” Labour. Since his arrival at the head of the party, he has strived to combat the anti-Semitism that his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn is accused of having allowed to flourish within Labor. “

These two affairs and the way he handled them show how seriously he took anti-Semitism in the party,”

observes

Steven Fielding,

emeritus professor of politics at the University of Nottingham, to RFI.

Because he had to act. He decided decisively when we knew what the two candidates had said. He reacted very quickly.

A “

scam

” for conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, determined to exploit these embarrassing revelations for Labor. But the scandal should not do too much harm to the Labor Party, in the eyes of political scientist Steven Fielding. “

I deeply believe that the next elections will be decided by the feeling of blockage that people feel with the Conservative Party. The population wants change. So, I don't think these cases are going to have a big effect on the vote. The Labor Party will win the election.

A change Labor has been waiting for for fourteen years. For the moment, the opposition party is still leading in the polls for the elections this fall 2024.

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United Kingdom: Keir Starmer, Labor boss, cleans up the party

United Kingdom: Keir Starmer, Labor boss, cleans up the party

Labor still favorite for the legislative elections

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