A counterpoint to the main story of Labour’s election victory is the way Gaza has cost the party at least five seats – and ran it very close in others. Jon Ashworth’s shock loss to independent Gaza campaigner Shockat Adam in Leicester South was the most high profile but there were three other losses to independents standing on a similar platform. Jeremy Corbyn was returned as an independent in Islington North, referencing Gaza in both his campaign literature and acceptance speech.
It won’t just be on Gaza that Starmer now comes under pressure to move
Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP who has campaigned against Islamist extremism, was beaten in Birmingham Perry Barr by an independent, Heather Iqbal was beaten in Dewsbury and Batley, and Kate Hollern lost Blackburn. All three seats now have an independent MP (following a pattern seen in the May local elections). Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary, came within 528 votes of defeat in Ilford North.
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