A Labour councillor has resigned from the party calling party leader Keir Starmer’s comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict “horrifying”.
Cllr Amna Abdullatif, who represents Ardwick in Manchester City Council, resigned earlier today.
This comes as a result of Keir Starmer’s statement yesterday supporting Israel, after calls from members of the party asking to condemn Israel’s aggression for hurting innocent Palestinians.
Cllr Abdullatif’s statement on X read: “I joined the Labour Party because its values of justice and equality reflected my own and it saddens me that I no longer feel that this is the case under the current leadership of this party.”
She added that Starmer and the Labour frontbench’s comments supporting Israel’s decision to cut fuel, electricity and more for Palestinians were in turn ‘endorsing war crimes’.
The Ardwick Cllr is the first Arab Muslim woman to be part of Manchester City Council and sits on the Economic and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee.
She will continue to serve this role as an independent member.
As tensions grow in the middle-east, its affect has been seen in local Manchester comminties.
Last week Greater Manchester Police increased their presence in Jewish and Muslim communities across the area.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, attended a vigil for innocent Israeli victims of Hamas attacks, last week.
Meanwhile, thousands took to the streets on Saturday to protest against Israel’s aggression leading to the death of innocent Palestinians.
Featured Image: Shikhar Talwar
