POLL OF THE DAY: Is sectarian politics rising in Britain? YOUR VERDICT
POLL OF THE DAY: Is sectarian politics rising in Britain? YOUR VERDICT
PA
Fears have surged that sectarian politics could be rising in the UK after former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined forces with four pro-Gaza independent MPs to form a new left-wing bloc in Parliament.
His newly former "Independent Alliance", comprising of Corbyn, Ayoub Khan, Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam and Adnan Hussain, has already taken aim at the Government for paring back pensioners' Winter Fuel Allowance and its record of handing out licences for weapons sales to Israel.
On Monday, the group claimed they were elected to "provide hope in a parliament of despair", and issued an open invitation to other MPs who "believe in a more equal and peaceful world".
A spokesman for Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle said a letter had been received but refused to confirm whether the new group's organisation would have any bearing on time allocated in Parliament.
POLL OF THE DAY: Is sectarian politics rising in Britain? YOUR VERDICT
GB News
The group's statement read: "We were elected by our constituents to provide hope in a parliament of despair.
"Already, this Government has scrapped the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, voted to keep the two-child benefits cap, and ignored calls to end arms sales to Israel.
"Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war - and their voices deserve to be heard.
"As individuals, we were voted by our constituents to represent their concerns in parliament on these matters, and more, and we believe that as a collective group, we can carry on doing this with greater effect.
"The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better. Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world."
Jeremy Corbyn joined forces with four pro-Gaza independent MPs to form a new left-wing bloc in Parliament
PA
Former editor of the Jewish Chronicle Stephen Pollard wrote on Twitter: “It is, of course, an accident of timing that the Government’s arms embargo to Israel - and yes, that is what it is, albeit not a full embargo - should be announced on the same day as the formation of the ‘Independent Alliance’ of Corbyn and the five independent Muslim MPs. But while the timing may be a coincidence, the politics behind them is most definitely not.
“Labour is well aware of the threat posed to it by sectarian Muslim voting. In 37 constituencies more than 20 per cent of the population are Muslim, and in a further 73 seats, the Muslim population is between 10 and 20 per cent. There is an electorally significant Muslim population in 110 constituencies.
“A pre-election poll showed that one in four British Muslims cited the Israel/Palestine conflict as their most important issue, compared to just 3 per cent of the public.
“These attitudes are what is behind Government policy now, with Labour focusing on staving off further Muslim drift away from the party. More of this is on its way - expect legislation over ‘Islamophobia’ and other such policies.”
However, defending the former Labour leader, some Twitter users leapt to the defence of Corbyn saying: “Sectarian politics? Against benefit cuts and austerity. Sounds pretty broad church to me. Peace and Justice in international politics likewise”
In the exclusive poll for GB News membership readers, an overwhelming majority (98 per cent) of the 1,178 voters think sectarian politics is rising in Britain, while just one per cent thought it wasn't. One per cent said they did not know.