Sunak accuses Starmer of ‘standing by’ Azhar Ali after Israel remarks
Rishi Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of having “no principles at all” over the Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali in a live TV grilling by undecided and swing voters.
Just minutes before the Prime Minister faced questions on GB News in County Durham on Monday evening, Labour withdrew its support for Mr Ali, who had claimed Israel deliberately relaxed security to allow Hamas to carry out their 7 October attack, to provide grounds to invade Gaza.
Mr Ali apologised for his “deeply offensive” remarks, made in a recording obtained by the Mail on Sunday– yet the controversy has prompted questions about the Labour leader’s claim the party has changed since the antisemitism crisis that engulfed Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
It comes as Mr Sunak is facing one of the most challenging weeks of his premiership, with two tricky by-elections, opposition to his Rwanda Bill currently under scrutiny in the House of Lords, and the release of official figures revealing whether the country has slipped into a recession.
Why a parliamentary candidate can’t be removed by a party in the weeks up to an election
Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill comes under fire from Tory and Labour peers
‘We haven’t made enough of a dent in NHS waiting lists,’ admits PM
An issue that has blighted the entirety of Mr Sunak’s premiership is worsening NHS waiting lists.
In response to a question posed on the matter by an audience of voters on GB News, Mr Sunak cited investments in the health service that might only reap benefits in years to come but that he is still making because they are “the right thing to do”.
However, Mr Sunak admitted: “We haven’t made enough of a dent in the waiting list.”
Although he went on to blame Covid and now ongoing strikes over pay, insisting: “I know that we can get them down if we can get the strikes behind us.”
A question on NHS waiting lists was posed to Rishi Sunak by a voter on Monday night
” height=”406″ width=”720″ layout=”responsive” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”>
A question on NHS waiting lists was posed to Rishi Sunak by a voter on Monday night
Sunak insists views on issues facing trans people ‘not controversial’
Rishi Sunak insisted his views on issues facing transgender people are “not controversial” after facing criticism for a jibe during Prime Minister’s Questions last week.
The prime minister faced backlash after accusing Sir Keir Starmer of not being able to “define a woman” while Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey, was visiting Parliament.
Speaking to the public during a GB News forum on Monday, Mr Sunak said: “When it comes to questions over women’s safety… biological sex is important
“I really don’t think that anything I just said is controversial.”
Holly Patrick reports:
Sunak insists views on issues facing trans people ‘not controversial’
Rishi Sunak insisted his views on issues facing transgender people are “not controversial” after facing criticism for a jibe during Prime Minister’s Questions last week. The prime minister faced backlash after accusing Sir Keir Starmer of not being able to “define a woman” while Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey, was visiting Parliament. Speaking to the public during a GB News forum on Monday, Mr Sunak said: “When it comes to questions over women’s safety… biological sex is important “I really don’t think that anything I just said is controversial.”
Sunak accuses Starmer of ‘standing by’ Azhar Ali after Israel remarks
Rishi Sunak accused Sir Keir Starmer of standing by Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali as he spoke to members of the public during a GB News forum on Monday, 12 February.
The prime minister said the Labour leader “stood by” the politician and “sent cabinet ministers to support him, until literally five minutes before I walked on tonight under enormous media pressure.”
Labour withdrew its support for Mr Ali following criticism of remarks he made about Israel.
Mr Ali apologised after he was recorded suggesting that Israel allowed the October 7 Hamas assault and used it as a pretext to invade Gaza.
“The Labour Party hasn’t changed. It’s a con,” Mr Sunak added.
Holly Patrick reports:
Sunak accuses Starmer of ‘standing by’ Azhar Ali after Israel remarks
Rishi Sunak accused Sir Keir Starmer of standing by Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali as he spoke to members of the public during a GB News forum on Monday, 12 February. The prime minister said the Labour leader “stood by” the politician and “sent cabinet ministers to support him, until literally five minutes before I walked on tonight under enormous media pressure.” Labour withdrew its support for Mr Ali following criticism of remarks he made about Israel. Mr Ali apologised after he was recorded suggesting that Israel allowed the October 7 Hamas assault and used it as a pretext to invade Gaza. “The Labour Party hasn’t changed. It’s a con,” Mr Sunak added.
Labour withdraws support for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali after antisemitism row
PM tells ‘undecided voters’ choosing Labour will be going ‘back to square one’
Rishi Sunak has told undecided voters that choosing Labour would be going “back to square one”.
As members of the UK Public posed questions to the Prime Minister on GB News, he cited his five priorities of halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debts, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats.
Acknowledging the difficulties of recent years, Mr Sunak said: “Do we stick with this plan, our plan that is starting to deliver the change that you all want and the country deserves? Or do we go back to square one with Keir Starmer and the Labour Party?”
Sunak accuses Starmer of being ‘un-British’ over attacks on his school
Rishi Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “un-British” over the Labour leader’s attacks on the school the prime minister attended.
Speaking at a Q&A with the UK public on GB News, Mr Sunak, who attended independent boarding school Winchester College, said: “I get attacked by Keir Starmer because of where I went to school.”
But, citing his belief in aspiration, he said he once told the Labour leader: “You’re not attacking me, you’re attacking my parents.”
He added: “I don’t think it’s British and that’s not the type of country I’m going to build.”
Rishi Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of being ‘un-British’ over the Labour leader’s attacks on the school the prime minister attended
” height=”413″ width=”465″ layout=”responsive” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”>
Rishi Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of being ‘un-British’ over the Labour leader’s attacks on the school the prime minister attended
Doubt cast over Starmer’s promise to tackle antisemitism, says campaign group
Doubt has been cast over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to tackle antisemitism in his party after his handling of the controversy surrounding Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali , a campaign group has said.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Sir Keir Starmer has blotted an otherwise fairly admirable copy book and given the public reason to doubt the earnestness of his promise to tear antisemitism out ‘by its roots’ in Labour.
“People will have to judge for themselves whether the additional reported comments by Azhar Ali are really any worse than the comments that had already been reported.
“Rather than appearing as a principled decision, Labour’s withdrawal of support for its candidate at this late stage just looks as expedient as the failed attempt to defend him.
“It is the worst of all worlds for Labour.”
Sunak accuses Starmer of having ‘no principles at all’ over Rochdale by-election candidate
Rishi Sunak made a direct reference to Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, and accused Sir Keir Starmer of standing by the politician and having “no principles at all”.
Mr Sunak said: “We’ve just seen over the last few days – you’ve seen what’s happened, right?
“Keir Starmer has been running around for the last year trying to tell everybody ‘OK, Labour Party’s changed’. Well, look what just happened in Rochdale, a candidate saying the most vile conspiracy theories, antisemitic, and what happened? He’s stood by and sent cabinet ministers to support him, until literally five minutes before I walked on tonight, under enormous media pressure, has decided to change his mind on principle. No principles at all.
“So no the Labour Party hasn’t changed. It’s a con.”
Rishi Sunak made a direct reference to Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, and accused Sir Keir Starmer of standing by the politician and having ‘no principles at all’
” height=”411″ width=”710″ layout=”responsive” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”>
Rishi Sunak made a direct reference to Labour Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, and accused Sir Keir Starmer of standing by the politician and having ‘no principles at all’
