‘If there is peace in Palestine and Israel my sacrifice would be to quit’

New independent UK MP Iqbal Mohamed seeks guarantee Labour will work to bring change

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An independent MP would “sacrifice” his seat if that would guarantee permanent peace in Palestine and Israel with the assistance of the new Labour government, he told The National.

Iqbal Mohamed, who defeated a Labour candidate in the July 4 election, was one of a record number of independent MPs to successfully stand in constituencies on pro-Gaza platforms.

Labour, which lost the seats despite winning a landslide election last week, now has a “Muslim problem” when it came to that part of the electorate, Mr Mohamed said in his first in-depth interview.

The community, along with Green Party voters, was responsible for a substantial shift in votes over the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Radio interview

Mr Mohamed had been a member of Labour for two years with the aim of winning a seat as an MP for the party.

But the position taken by its leader Keir Starmer in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel quickly changed that.

Mr Starmer's LBC radio interview a few days after the Hamas killings, in which he stated Israel “has the right” to withhold power and water from Gaza, drove Mr Mohamed and many of Britain’s three million Muslim voters away from Labour, who were then in opposition.

It was that “blind support while Israel was killing innocent people” that “broke my heart”, he said, speaking in Westminster after an induction day for new MPs.

“As a member of the Labour Party, which was founded by working-class people on the principles of equality, fairness, justice and peace, for somebody in such a senior position to take that side and have no logical reason for it was not justified.”

His view reflects growing concern among Labour supporters that the party has a “Muslim problem” over its Palestine stance.

This was reflected this week in comments by former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, and by Thangam Debbonaire, who lost her seat to a Green candidate and said Labour has “got a problem” over Gaza and the party was “storing up trouble” in failing to address it.

Leading Labour figure Jonathan Ashworth, who lost his seat to pro-Gaza independent Shockat Adam, told LBC radio that he had never faced “such vitriol, such bullying, such intimidation on the foul and obnoxious lie that I was responsible for genocide” but this was “not representative of the many, many Muslim constituents I was proud to represent”.

Pressed by ITV news on whether he recognised Labour’s Muslim issue, Mr Starmer avoided the question but admitted “where we didn't secure the votes, we'll address that”.

Mr Mohamed agreed that the Muslim vote was difficult for the party, which also had “a trust problem, a credibility problem” and that Labour was “on the wrong side of history” over Gaza.

'Lives more important than career'

In a move that is highly unusual for an MP elected only a week ago, the former engineer and IT consultant told The National that if by resigning peace was permanently guaranteed in Palestine and Israel "I would take that step".

“My political career is less important than human life," he said. "Nothing would make me happier than the Labour Party doing something that it's in power to stop the killing. Labour cannot bring back the dead but they can help save the living."

He argued that Labour, and a potentially left-wing government in France, had the “unique opportunity to be remembered for the rest of time” by becoming “the catalysts to a peaceful solution in Palestine and Israel”.

The government also had to fulfil its manifesto promise for the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, which Labour has said it might now delay, and to reinstate funding of the UNRWA refugee agency.

Victory template

The Muslim vote has more potential to impact significantly in future elections, with a template for community political organising pioneered in a London constituency.

Because of the Gaza conflict, another independent, Leanne Mohamad, stood in the Ilford North seat, in East London, against then health secretary Wes Streeting, coming within 500 votes of taking his seat.

She had been selected in January by the Redbridge Community Action Group, a pro-Gaza organisation that used a selection panel and mobilising campaign to get out the vote.

This template was used by organisers in the Dewsbury and Batley constituency to undertake interviews and hustings of about a dozen candidates that finally resulted in Mr Mohamed, 53, being selected as the parliamentary candidate.

“They basically just took the Redbridge model, refined it to a process and applied it in very quick time which can make a huge difference,” he said.

With then prime minister Rishi Sunak calling the poll just three weeks after local elections, in which Muslim voters had severely dented Labour in some areas, there was also considerable momentum for the campaign.

“The messaging had already got to people and all they needed was to have confidence in the selection process,” said Mr Mohamed, the father of three children, all in their twenties.

Gaza divides

Despite his constituency being 34 per cent Muslim, Mr Mohamed argued that Gaza had “transcended religion” with a large number of non-Muslims supporting his position.

“Knocking doors, we went to areas that were either all white, Muslim or mixed and we didn't find many people who weren't distressed by what's going on in Gaza, stating that our government could have done more and they didn't. So Gaza was big.”

Britain has nearly four million Muslims in total, almost six per cent of the population, that mainly emigrated to the UK to assist with the economy after the Second World War.

“We've made a contribution, a massive contribution to our country and a lot of it's been not been acknowledged,” said Mr Mohamed, whose parents came from northern India.

He added that “what makes Britain great” is that it allowed Muslims to practise their faith “with complete freedom” although few people knew about the charitable deeds done by many as to boast about it was “un-Islamic”.

Political force

That political force is now being harnessed with the potential for Muslims to make more advances in Britain, particularly in areas where they make up more than 20 per cent of the population, according to pollsters.

It has also seen Mr Mohamed take the constituency once represented by Jo Cox, the Labour MP murdered by a far-right fanatic a week before the Brexit vote in 2016.

“Jo Cox was a beacon for honest politics and that was one thing that everybody loved about her, regardless of party,” he said. “She’s a reminder that's the reason to go into politics, it's about public service, it’s about professionalism and working together with others.”

A man who comes across as transparent and dedicated to helping others, Mr Mohamed also appears unafraid of those in power.

On Tuesday, before MPs swore an oath of allegiance to the King, as members mingled in the chamber of the Commons, Mr Mohamed approached the new Prime Minister.

“I congratulated him and said I look forward to working with him and his government for the benefit of our country and beyond.”

Mr Starmer acknowledged his approach and said he was “open to sitting down and meeting”, Mr Mohamed said, although he admitted that might take time as the Prime Minister was “a busy man”.