'This is for Gaza': Pro-Palestine UK politicians defeat rivals

Pro-Palestinian independent British politicians, Shockat Adam and Adnan Hussain have emerged victorious in UK general elections after defeating Labour Party candidates in a sign that the party's stance on the Gaza conflict caused a rift among voters.

Adam, 51, defeated Jon Ashworth, the Shadow Cabinet minister for Labour, in the Leicester South constituency of the East Midlands during the UK general election, while 34-year-old Hussain unseated Labour's Kate Hollern in the northwestern ex-industrial town of Blackburn on Friday.

He declared "this is for Gaza" as he won the seat by 979 votes after bagging 14,739 votes against Ashworth, who received 13,760 votes. Meanwhile, political novice, Hussain managed to secure 10,518 votes, winning by the slim margin of 132 to Hollern's 10,386 votes.

Leicester South has long been a stronghold for the Labour Party, with only a short interruption from the Liberal Democrats in 2004 and 2005. Since 1987, the constituency in the East Midlands has consistently elected Labour MPs.

Both Adam’s and Hussain’s wins are credited to their unwavering opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, along with the Labour Party’s position on the Israeli atrocities.

“The Palestinian cause is very close to the community’s heart yet when they needed a loud and clear and distinct voice it was lacking,” Adam told the Middle East Eye.

“How can we stand by when we are seeing massacre upon massacre?”

Gaza running theme in UK general election

Many voters in the UK general elections are planning to vote for candidates prioritizing ending Britain’s support for the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza at the core of their foreign policy.

Solicitor Hussain, who operates a local legal practice, took a stand in support of Gaza and received the backing of a group of former Labour councilors who left the party due to its Gaza policy. During the local elections in early May, the group became the second-largest party in the borough.

"Gaza is important and it's the reason why I stood. But poverty is a massive issue too and so is healthcare," he said.

In 2019, Hollern received 64.9 percent of the vote for the Labour Party. However, the party's support for the Israeli aggression against Gaza is believed to have contributed to her loss of support among Muslim voters, who represent 35 percent of the local voters.

Craig Murray, a former British ambassador and candidate for George Galloway's Workers Party, secured third place with 7,105 votes after running on a pro-Gaza platform.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn, the ex-Labour Party leader, successfully secured his position as an independent candidate for Islington North in the parliamentary elections, despite being disqualified from running for the party almost four years ago.

The progressive politician garnered 24,120 votes, triumphing with a lead of 7,247 votes against his strong challenger and Labour candidate Praful Nargund, who finished in second place with 16,873 votes.

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