VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: Labour’s remarkable four-year evolution
This week's editorial reflects on the party's transformation from not fit for purpose to fit for power.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has largely achieved his goal of ridding his party of antisemitism and once again making it a welcoming environment for British Jews.
We saw it over recent years with the decision of many on the hard left to exit stage right, realising this Labour Party was no longer for them and the return of those who suffered most during the Corbyn era.
This change was underlined by a pre-election survey of British Jews which suggested Labour was the preferred party of Jewish voters and, finally, last week, by the fact the Bagel Belt seats of Finchley and Golders Green, Hendon and Chipping Barnet all turned red for the first time. This transformation from 2019 is nothing short of seismic. Sir Keir deserves huge credit for his single-minded focus on this goal.
Many will want to reserve judgment until Labour is really tested in power, but what cannot be doubted is that Starmer has been been an ally to our community and Israel from the moment he took on the leadership.
For a government that enjoys a massive majority, however, there are a striking number of challenges on the horizon. Including those that will impact British Jews and Israel.
Even before the election, David Lammy stood apart from his predecessor in the Foreign Office on the issue of potential arrest warrants targeting Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Labour’s position on Palestine recognition is vague enough for serious questions to continue.
Then there’s the fact Labour faces a major challenge in addressing the loss of trust among many British Muslims that saw the alarming accent of a bloc of MPs focused enitrely on Gaza.
The new prime minister will want to win back this support in 2029 but let’s not forget, as he navigates a daunting in-tray, that this is the same Starmer who stood steadfastly by Israel after 7 October despite plenty of internal opposition.
Many will want to reserve judgment until Labour is really tested in power, but what cannot be doubted is that Starmer has been been an ally to our community and Israel from the moment he took on the leadership. With the support of his sizeable parliamentary majority – including several Jewish ministers now in key roles – we wish him the best of luck in the challenging months and years ahead.
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