Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Starmer suspends second Labour candidate

Keir Starmer (Credit: Getty images)

Labour has now suspended Graham Jones as a parliamentary candidate after a recording emerged of him allegedly saying that Britons who travel to Israel to fight for the IDF should be ‘locked up’. The former MP, who is standing again in Hyndburn, was taped appearing to refer to ‘f***ing Israel’, and saying it was ‘illegal’ for Britons to fight for Israel. It isn’t – the UK recognises the right of dual nationals to join ‘legitimately recognised armed forces’, but it is a point that has been debated within politics, and suggests that Keir Starmer is lowering the bar following the fallout from his Rochdale decision.

Starmer has made a real mess of the Rochdale situation. Today he argued that suspending Labour’s candidate Azhar Ali was evidence of him acting ‘decisively’, saying:

Certain information came to light over the weekend in relation to the candidate.

Isabel Hardman
Written by
Isabel Hardman
Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

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