The London area with highest Muslim population where people are turning backs on Labour over Gaza

People living in the area of London with the largest Muslim population say they are 'angry' at what they see as Labour 'back stepping' over its position on the conflict in Gaza. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) states that 60.5 per cent of respondents to the 2021 Census in Shadwell North said they were 'connected or identified with' Islam.

The ward is within the Bethnal Green and Stepney constituency for the General Election, where Labour had a huge 73% majority at the 2019 election. But people living there say Labour's changing stance on Gaza could see them lose support there, and predictions by Electoral Calculus currently predict its share of the vote falling to around 63% at the July 4 election.

Khalil Rahman, 30, has been the manager of Ample Properties and Finance in Cannon Street Road for seven years. He told MyLondon that 'a lot of people got very angry' at the way Sir Keir Starmer 'initially set out' his position.

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Mr Rahman added: "He initially didn't want to say anything about the international rights that had been violated by the Israeli policy. And, since then, he's been back stepping." He then said that 'a lot of people' have now 'woken up to the idea' of voting for independent candidates to 'try and get their voices heard'.

"I think only now," Mr Rahman added, "we've seen Labour implement a rule to say that we're going to recognise Palestine. It's like a cheap policy, just to try to win back votes."

'It's about the policy, it's about the principle'

"Because Labour is the one that's realistically got a chance of winning the actual elections. But some people are thinking, 'you know what, it's about the policy, it's about the principle.' So they might vote independent just to show, 'look, we're not happy with your decision'."

Umar Hasan, 25, has been a pharmacist for three years and lives in Holborn - part of the constituency where Sir Keir is standing on July 4. Whilst covering for a colleague at Chapel Pharmacy, he said: "What's happening in Gaza at the moment is horrific.

"We're getting daily reports of children being killed. And obviously this area, especially this area, is a highly populated Muslim area. But recently I've noticed that it's not even just Muslims.

"I've been on these protests. I've seen people from all different backgrounds participating in these protests. I've even seen, I was working in North London last week - a highly populated area of Jewish people - and there's so many Jewish people just in sync with what we think and what's happening."

'I've seen a lot of people choose independent candidates'

Mr Hasan added: "I myself am not from this area. I'm from Holborn. So my MP is Keir Starmer. He's probably going to be the next Prime Minister, more than likely. But I'm not going to vote for him. My family, my community for a long time, the last 20, 30, 40 years have been Labour supporters.

"But I've seen a lot of people now choose independent candidates. I'm going to vote for an independent candidate in my area. Labour are probably going to win, but we're just going to try and get their majority down."

He said that if Sir Keir had 'come out from the beginning, not halfway', had not been 'forced to change his opinion', and was not being 'half-hearted' with his appeal for a ceasefire, more would support him.

Kam Saxena, 32, a hospitality supervisor was walking down Commercial Road with Manuel Gonzalez, 26. They have lived in the area for around a year.

'I hope we get back to peace'

Ms Saxena said: "Any war in the world will have an impact on any place, to be honest. It depends what side the UK is, what they're doing." She added that she is 'scared' of what is happening in the Middle East and hopes 'it gets better'.

"Unfortunately," Ms Saxena said, "we've seen this in the past and we're seeing it again [...] and I hope that we somehow manage to not repeat the past and we get back to peace." At the General Election, she thinks that people will 'vote more' because they will 'want to see if their world will get change'.

Mr Gonzalez said: "Nobody likes war, of course. They want peace. Nobody likes to see people dying."

Kesh Sharma, 78, who, despite being 'retired’, was busy making calculations at the counter of family business J and K Knitwear and Co., had a differing view. She said: "I don't think the Middle East will affect voting in this country, because it doesn't affect us a lot.

"Yes, we are sympathetic; what they are doing in Gaza is wrong. But the whole world is quiet about Israel. I mean, if it was somebody else, they would be shouting and yelling and everything else. But now their mouths are shut, because Israel is a strong party to America and to everybody else."

'We're a business and we're going to be affected by potential tax hikes and tax increases'

Jagesh Sharma, Ms Sharma's son and a company director, 56, said he is primarily concerned about the wider economic conditions that affect the fortunes of his business. "Form our perspective," Mr Sharma told MyLondon, "we're a business and we're going to be affected by potential tax hikes and tax increases.

"I know the Labour Party are promising that they're not going to increase personal taxation. But they're being very, very quiet and cagey about things like corporation tax." He added: "But common sense dictates that they are going to need money.

"If you're not increasing the revenue scheme, where are you going to get the money? They can't increase the borrowing. So yes, we're concerned about how it's going to impact us, our business, and therefore the livelihoods of the staff and the people who work for us."

When asked how business has been of late, Mr Sharma said that it has been 'difficult' and that 'Brexit has had a huge impact' due to extra paperwork and tariffs on goods. All parties, he added, with the exception of the Liberal Democrats are not mentioning the 'B word', and the issue has become 'conflated with immigration'.

'Brexit has been extremely detrimental'

"From any rational perspective," the director said, "it's been extremely detrimental to the country economically... We have a strong relationship with Europe, and most of our products come from Europe." Deliveries that were 'quick and painless' are now 'difficult', Mr Sharma, who has been involved with the family firm since 1992, added.

MyLondon has approached Labour for comment. The party set out its position on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in its manifesto last week.

The document states: "Long-term peace and security in the Middle East will be an immediate focus. Labour will continue to push for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.

"It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

"Labour will also strengthen support for British nationals abroad. We will introduce a new right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations."

Full list of candidates

Here is a full list of candidates standing in Bethnal Green and Stepney at the General Election:

• Independent, Reggie Adams

• Independent, Md Somon Ahmed

• Labour, Rushanara Ali

• Green, Phoebe Gill

• Animal Welfare Party, Vanessa Hudson

• Liberal Democrat, Rabina Khan

• Social Democratic Party, Jon Mabbutt

• Independent, Ajmal Masroor

• Conservative, Oscar Reaney

• Reform UK, Peter Sceats

• Independent, Sham Uddin

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