‘Will you be voting for the Hamas supporter?’, ex-Labour MP asks voter supporting Muslim university lecturer Hawwash standing as independent candidate
Former Birmingham Selly Oak Labour MP – and chair of Labour Friends of Israel Steve McCabe – has been caught on doorbell video describing a Muslim independent candidate who is campaigning on a human rights platform, as ‘the Hamas supporter’ and ‘both-sidesing’ the slaughter of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza.
McCabe, who decided not to stand again in this election and has denied that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, was out campaigning for former army colonel Alistair Carns and was apparently unhappy when a householder challenged McCabe for ignoring his emails to his then-MP about the genocide – and told him he was supporting Kamel Hawwash, a local university lecturer of Palestinian heritage:
Hawwash said in his campaign statement that he was standing because he felt betrayed by Labour, especially over the mass murder in Gaza, but also over local issues in Selly Oak:
I’m a lecturer at a local university, a parent and a human rights campaigner. After 6 years of being a member of the Labour Party, I resigned because like so many others I felt betrayed by it.
Under 14 years of Tory rule we are left with a worsening housing crisis, a cost of living crisis and an energy crisis. Our NHS is underfunded and our schools are struggling too. Working people’s wages do not cover rent, food and bills. They had millions of pounds for ineffective PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic and to fund wars and genocide yet crippled our public services. Instead of providing a real opposition, the Labour Party has abandoned so many of it’s promises and cannot be trusted to support us.
As a Palestinian, I’m shocked and appalled that both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have justified war crimes against the people of Gaza. Steve McCabe, the ex-Labour MP for Selly Oak and the Chair of Labour Friends of Israel, has gone as far as justifying the bombing of children, women and hospitals in Gaza.
I care deeply about the issues affecting the people of Selly Oak and that’s why I’ve decided to stand as a Parliamentary Candidate for Selly Oak on the 4th July.
Commitments:
Immediate recognition of Palestine and support the ICC and ICJ rulings for justice & peace.
End homelessness – build more social rent homes to fix the housing crisis.
Save our NHS from privatisation – pay staff what they demand with better working conditions.
Scrap university tuition fees and bring back student grants.
Demand a ‘wealth tax’ to improve all our public services and welfare system.
Save our planet – put energy back into public hands and invest more in sustainable energies.
Everyone is treated fairly including people with disabilities, minorities, immigrants and refugees.
Reinstate funding cut from all local services and libraries in our community.
Skwawkbox understands that Mr Hawwash is outraged a McCabe’s comments and is considering legal action. Attempts to find current contact information for Steve McCabe were unsuccessful, as he is no longer an MP and emails to his parliamentary address trigger an automated email advising he is no longer serving as an MP and all surgeries have been cancelled.
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