Labour axes support for Rochdale candidate over ‘new Israel comments’ as pressure mounts on Starmer – latest

Labour MPs feel there is a “disparity in treatment” within the party about antisemitism allegations, the lawyer of the Forde Report has said.

Martin Forde KC led the 2022 report that found factional disputes between the party’s right and left under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and that both sides had weaponised antisemitism.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Labour’s decision to withdraw support from its Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali 36 hours after allegations of antisemitism emerged “appears pretty shambolic”.

Mr Forde said: “If you want a fair and transparent system then it has to deal with people consistently, and I’m aware from discussions with some of the MPs within the party – who might be described as left-leaning – that they feel that when it comes to disciplinary action taken against them then things move rather slowly, but if you’re in the right faction of the party, as it were, then things are dealt with either more leniently or more swiftly.

“Now that’s the perception, I can’t quantify it, but I do think it’s something that leadership should be concerned to, in a away, dilute, or if it is in fact the case, they need to give reassurance to members of the voting public and to their members that people will be treated fairly.”

Housing minister Lee Rowley accused Labour of “going to ground” after no shadow minister appeared on Tuesday’s morning media round amid criticism of remarks made by Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali.

Mr Rowley told Sky News: “I mean, where is Labour? Where’s Labour today? Talking to people like yourselves, they’re not doing it.

“They’re going to ground.”

It was put to Mr Rowley that he was on “dodgy ground” accusing another party of going to ground when the government is “not always around”, to which he replied: “That is a party which has not changed. It’s a party which will say anything to win government, and I hope people are watching.

“They’ve got no plan and they’re getting themselves into a real mess over things like this.”

But, in a dramatic climbdown on Monday night, the party said its support for Mr Ali had been withdrawn following “new information about further comments”. He has also been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.

The Government’s proposed Rwanda asylum legislation “needs further tightening to avoid potential legal challenges that would prevent it from achieving its aims”, according to a Conservative peer.

Baroness Lawlor, speaking in favour of amendment 32 in a bid to disapply “relevant” domestic and international law from the Bill, told the Lords: “The first reason for this amendment is a practical one – it is pointless to make a law that is unlikely to work and that sadly seems to be the case for the present Bill unless it is amended.

“The second reason is a deeper one. There is no doubt that there’s a popular wish for the small boats to be stopped and that one of the reasons why the Government was elected was to control our borders.

“Unless it makes a law strong enough to withstand whatever challenge might be brought to it through national or international law, the Government will be failing the people on whose support the laws made to govern Britain should be grounded and trust in the democratic system – with its political parties, Parliament and government and the judiciary – will be lost.”

Rishi Sunak has defended his under-fire Rwanda policy as the UK public grilled the prime minister live on TV.

The Prime Minister defended his commitment to the Rwanda policy by saying it is necessary as “a deterrent” to illegal migration.

Rishi Sunak was asked by one voter at GB News’ People’s Forum, a retired woman from Middleton-in-Teesdale, why he was “so adamant” about the Rwanda policy “when public documentation shows it isn’t working and that it’s not going to work”.

Mr Sunak said it was needed to tackle illegal migration, adding: “In order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent.

“We need to be able to say pretty simply and unequivocally that if you come to our country illegally, you won’t get to stay.

“We want to be able to remove you either to your home country if it’s safe, like we’ve done with Albania, and for everyone else we need an alternative and that’s what Rwanda is about.

“So yes, we’ve made progress – down by third – but in order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent. That’s what Rwanda is all about and that is why I’m absolutely committed to getting this bill through Parliament and getting this scheme up and running.”