Game on in Bethnal Green and Stepney – will another East End area reject Starmeroid ‘Labour’ as local left lawyer steps forward?
Mohammed Akunjee has announced that he will stand against Labour right-winger Rushanara Ali in Bethnal Green and Stepney – the seat that will replace Bethnal Green and Bow in the next general election – because of her silence and compliance with Starmer’s pro-war crime support for Israel.
Akunjee – a lawyer who once rallied support for a ‘class action’ lawsuit against Labour for its abuse of party members – announced his candidacy in a video in which he noted Ali’s silence while other MPs stood up, and some resigned positions, to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza:
Bethnal Green and Stepney is part of Tower Hamlets borough, where mayor Lutfur Rahman and his Aspire party thrashed Labour in 2022 to take control of the council. It neighbours Newham, where Labour has been trounced by independents in recent local elections because of Starmer’s complicity in the Gaza genocide and is a relative stone’s throw from Ilford in Redbridge borough, where Labour is in a panic because Muslim woman Leanne Mohamad has been selected by the local independent group to stand against Starmer clone Wes Streeting and Streeting has been the target of outraged protests over Gaza.
Labour is right to panic. Ousting Labour drones and friends of war crimes in the East End would be a perfect step toward overturning the red/blue Tory one-party state that has been engineered in England to deprive voters of real choice.
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If my memory serves me, I believe George Galloway defeated Oona King the incumbent Labour MP, at the General Election in 2005.
The reason for the defeat was Labour’s support for Iraq’s invasion. It looks like history is about to repeat itself.
That us correct which means that the contest could well be very competitive.
Most Muslims are not wealthy. They work in ordinary jobs in offices shops factories etc. They have no billionaire backers,they have no “Friends” in parliament. They are more or less powerless as individuals.
However each and every one of them has a vote and collectively they have the power to oust Ali and all the others who have condoned the genocide in Gaza either openly, by abstaining on the ceasefire vote and/or by their silence. I hope British Muslims and all those of Arab decent get organised and join with independents and the left to defeat the warmongers and genocide deniers in Downing St and Southside. This can be achieved – we have the numbers-if we all work together.
I wish Mohammed every success and I believe he will be elected MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney because people there like people everywhere else are disgusted by the Labour Party’s shameless Zionist leader and his nodding dog MPs who think the mass murder of innocent men women and children can be justified on the grounds that Israel has the “right to defend itself”.
Maybe some of them are stupid or hatefilled enough to actually believe this but I suspect the Zionist/ Israel lobby has bought and paid for the support it is receiving from most of them.
Good but think it is a mistake for some Muslim groups to say they will stand Muslim candidates against Lab MPs etc in 55 areas (against those MPs who do nothing to try to stop the Genocide).
By next Saturday millions of us diverse citizens have marched etc side by side for Peace & Palestine by for 4 months and we don’t want our movement fragmenting, its diversity is our strength (and around the world).
I have always favoured 620 or so Jeremy Corbyn supporting INDEPENDENTS (JC is a ‘brandname’) but perhaps the model used to select Leanne Mohammed in Redbridge (400 diverse activists turned up to select a candidate) is the one to follow.
We need candidates who support Justice For Palestine, will challenge the three Neo-Liberal main parties (who won’t challenge Neo-Liberalism) and who will fight for the diverse working class and progressive middle class. Solidarity.
Bazza, I agree with everything you say. “For the Many….” is a brilliant BRAND name and a very powerful POSITIONING Statement. Moreover, it still produces excellent brand RECOGNITION in target demographics – i.e. practically everyone.
Maybe GE24 will be the ONLY GE in the foreseeable future when “For the Many” has such a powerful and cogent thrust with instant recognition – too good not to use.
The Electoral Commission would be flummoxed by it’s widespread use. Establishment labour would try to claim ‘ownership’ of the phrase (despite evicting the fellow who created it)- and that would greatly help the disparate but numerous Independents that appear to coincidently and spontaneously use it.
Perhaps a leaf could be taken from the process adopted in the US state of New Hampshire yesterday…….
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/biden-wins-new-hampshire-primary-b2483653.html
…..where the Democratic Primary ballot was ‘won’ by Joe Biden despite his name not being on the ballot:
“President Joe Biden won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, despite his name not appearing on the state’s presidential primary ballot.
The Associated Press called the race for Mr Biden shortly after polls closed on Tuesday night, as a majority of voters wrote in the president’s name.”
Such a precedent opens up a potentially intriguing can of worms?
I believe concentrating in selecting Muslim candidates to stand against incumbent Labour MPs, would be a mistake in certain areas.
In the case of Bethnal Green and Stepney the strategy is correct as the demographics in the area supports a Muslim candidate. The same applies to Ilford North when Leanne Mohammed is challenging Wes Streeting.
However, I believe that politics are more important than identity and the quality of the candidate, what brings to the table on top of supporting the Palestinian struggle would be of paramount importance.
Therefore, I will advice Leanne Mohammed to target Streeting on his record of getting funding from private health providers.
Hence, on top of supporting the Palestinian’s cause, to support a publicly own and funded NHS and stand firmly against further privatisation of the NHS. I don’t know the area but, she would do well in ascertaining as to whatever the are grass roots campaigns in the area supporting a public ownership of the NHS and seek their endorsement.
She should campaign too against keeping the 2 children cap to apply for welfare benefits.
This way, she will not only attract the Muslim vote but also the vote of the majority of decent working class people in Ilford North regardless of their racial identity.