Labour is facing plummeting support among British Muslims, a devastating new poll has shown.
The number of British Muslims supporting Sir Keir Starmer's Party has halved since 2019, according to polling from Survation and the Labour Muslim Network.
Support for the party from British Muslims has fallen to 43 per cent. It was at 86 per cent during the 2019 general election.
Senior Muslims within the party said the poll shows it is at a "crisis point" for its relationship with the British Muslim community.
Labour is facing plummeting support among British Muslims, a devastating new poll has shown
PA
There have been heightened tensions over Labour's response to the conflict in Gaza, with 38 per cent of those polled saying their opinion of the party had become more unfavourable over the last twelve months.
The polling, commissioned by ITV, showed that Support for the Conservative Party from British Muslims is now at six per cent, down four points since 2019.
Support for the Liberal Democrats is also at six per cent, an increase of five points.
Starmer attracted criticism in October 2023, after he appeared to suggest that Israel had a right to withhold power and water from civilians in Gaza.
But he added: "Obviously, everything should be done within international law".
In the wake of the interview, a number of senior Labour figures - including Starmer himself - made it clear they want Israel to act in line with international law, calling for the country to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn region.
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But the crisis took its toll on the party, with one Labour MP telling Politico that Starmer's approach to the conflict is "infuriating a lot of people”.
Meanwhile, a shadow minister said: "It’s united MPs on the left, right and centre of the party … There’s no recognition that we are haemorrhaging Muslim votes massively, enough to lose seats if there was an election tomorrow."
Last week, Starmer criticised the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he is “wrong” to reject moves to establish a Palestinian state.
He said: "The comments [made by] prime minister Netanyahu are unacceptable and they are wrong.
“Palestinian statehood is not in the gift of a neighbour. It is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It’s also the only way to a secure settlement and a secure future.”
