Comments caught on video, but MP denies wrongdoing and Federation publishes furious condemnation of Starmer’s inaction – which looks ever more like a pattern
The UK’s Sikh Federation has published a furious condemnation of Keir Starmer’s failure to take action over comments – caught on video – by Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma.
Mr Sharma was recorded wagging his finger at Sikh men challenging him over his record and telling them that a beard didn’t make them Sikhs:
The Federation has published a tweet demanding to know why Labour was still silent despite their complaints:
Virendra Sharma published a letter in which he acknowledged being recorded and denied wrongdoing accused his audience of ‘a barrage of aggressive questions’:
His explanation was dismissed as a ‘pathetic statement full of lies and lies and misrepresentations to defend his racist remarks’:
Virendra Sharma has been contacted for comment.
Keir Starmer’s apparent lack of interest in the issue extends a pattern of ignoring complaints of racism and bullying against MPs and others on the right of the party and even active targeting of minority groups:
- the Labour leader was accused by Jewish whistleblower Elaina Cohen of ignoring repeated emails warning him that the staffer and lover of right-wing MP Khalid Mahmood was engaged in criminal and sadistic exploitation of domestic violence victims
- Starmer has ignored right-wing racism, bullying and harassment directed toward Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum, despite pleas from her domestic violence advocate and a sick note from her doctor warning of the impact of the abuse and harassment on her health and mental wellbeing
- anti-black and other racism by right-wing staffers were swept under the carpet despite confirmation of them by the inquiry commissioned (under pressure) by Starmer himself
- the party ignored the advice of its own legal adviser to pursue a disciplinary process against a council leader accused of extremely serious sexual conduct – and has allowed him to become the area’s parliamentary candidate
- antisemitic statements by at least two right-wing MPs were brushed off without action, leaving one of them serving in Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet
- rigging and voter impersonation by right-wingers in the party’s campaign to remove left MP Sam Tarry were admitted by Starmer’s general secretary, but were dismissed as irrelevant to the outcome
- black and Muslim councillors were targeted for removal, sometimes en masse, while right-wingers accused of racism were protected by party officers
- the party has repeatedly suspended the victim of a blatantly Islamophobic hate call while protecting the right-wing perpetrator
- Starmer used a journalist, who has been accused of anti-Muslim comments, to write his conference speech
- the Labour Muslim Network’s calls for action on rampant Islamophobia by Labour right-wingers have seen no change, leading to a collapse in trust among Muslim members and among Muslim voters generally
- racism against Gypsy Roma people led to no disciplinary action against at least two MPs – and a council candidate was imposed on a local party despite similar anti-Roma hate speech
At no point has the party or Starmer himself responded to requests for comment on these and other matters.
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