Pro-Palestine candidates’ victories stun as Labour sweeps to UK election win

Keir Starmer's Labour party has swept to a landslide victory in the UK's general election, though it appears to have haemorrhaged votes to pro-Palestinian candidates, several of whom picked up shock wins. 

With almost all results in on Friday morning, Starmer is set to become British prime minister later on Friday with his party winning 410 out of 650 parliamentary seats. The outgoing Conservatives, led by Rishi Sunak, plummeted to just 119 MPs, while the centrist Liberal Democrats secured 71 MPs. 

Though the exit poll on Thursday night predicted Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration party Reform UK to perform better than expected, in the end its four MPs were outnumbered by independents running on platforms explicitly denouncing Israel’s war on Gaza.

For months, many voters across the UK had voiced dissatisfaction with Labour, especially over the party's early stance on Gaza when it called for an "enduring cessation of fighting" instead of an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.

Starmer also appeared to back Israel's decision to cut off Gaza from power, water and other necessities, despite legal experts condemning the move as a war crime.

Although the party later shifted its position and Labour denied Starmer was supportive of Israel's total siege, much of the British public said they felt compelled to vote for an unwaveringly pro-ceasefire candidate.

Chief among the shock independent victories was Shockat Adam, who unseated Jon Ashworth, a prominent member of Labour's shadow cabinet, in the East Midlands constituency of Leicester South.

In the northwestern ex-industrial town of Blackburn, Adnan Hussain unseated Labour's Kate Hollern.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was expelled from the party over his response to criticism of Labour’s response to antisemitism allegations, ran as an independent in London’s Islington North, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and won the seat.

Read more: Pro-Palestine candidates’ victories stun as Labour sweeps to UK election win