Labour probes ‘video of councillor on campaign trail’
THE Labour Party says it is looking into reports a Pendle Labour councillor was filmed supporting the disowned candidate Azhar Ali at the Rochdale by-election
Pendle councillor Mohammed Iqbal, who is a borough and a Lancashire county councillor, is alleged to have been seen in a video ‘appearing’ to campaign for Mr Ali at a polling station, according to a Daily Telegraph report. It stated the video showed Coun Iqbal wearing a red rosette in the company of Mr Ali at a polling station on the day of the
Rochdale by-election.
During the Rochdale campaign, Azhar Ali, a county councillor for Nelson. was officially disowned by the Labour Party over recorded comments he made regarding Israelipalestinian issues at a meeting. He remains a county councillor, as an independent.
This week, Coun Iqbal was approached for comment, but has not
replied to date. A Labour Party north-west spokesperson said: “Labour members stopped campaigning for Azhar Ali after he was suspended from the party and members did not campaign for him.
“We are looking into this We take all complaints extremely seriously and investigate them in accordance with our rules and processes. We do not comment on individual cases because our disciplinary processes are confidential.”
In 2022, Coun Iqbal was suspended by Labour following a Pendle
Council debate about Israel and Palestinian issues. He was later reinstated last year. That council debate was before the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, the hostage-taking and conflict.
After being reinstated by Labour, Coun Iqbal defended his record, rejected accusations that his comments at the Pendle debate were anti-jewish and said he would continue to speak on issues that concerned him, in the UK or internationally.
He also said he hoped to stand in this May’s local elections.
Meanwhile. the Rochdale by-election fall-out continues. George Galloway won the seat for the Workers Party of Britain and was sworn-in as MP at Westminster this week. He made the Israel-gaza conflict a key topic in his campaign and this week called on others to join the Workers Party and stand for election across the north.
Mr Galloway said one of his intentions was to win more seats for the
Workers Party or prevent Labour from winning them.
Over the years, he has been an MP for Labour and the Respect party at different times and in different seats in Scotland and England.
How Israel-palestinian issues impact on politics in Lancashire remains to be seen. Local council elections are due in May and a general election some time this year.
In Pendle, two borough councillors, Yasser Iqbal and Naeem Ashraf, remain classed as independents after resigning from Labour in November over Sir Keir Starmer’s position on Israel-palestine affairs.
Also in November, Pendle councillors across all political groups supported a formal motion calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-gaza conflict.
Many councillors criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer’s positions on the conflict.