UK election 2024: Labour's Rushanara Ali holds Bethnal Green and Stepney after divisive race

Labour MP Rushanara Ali fended off a strong challenge from pro-Palestine candidate Ajmal Masroor in the race for the London seat of Bethnal Green and Stepney on Friday, winning by a margin of 1,689 votes.

Ali managed to secure 15,896 votes, a drop of 39.4 percent form the last general election, to Masroor's 14,207.

Local activist and Muslim preacher Masroor had run his campaign exclusively on a pro-Gaza platform after another candidate, lawyer Tasnime Akunjee, had agreed to step down in order to avoid splitting the vote and called on other candidates to do the same.

On Friday, Masroor thanked those who had backed him for their "magnificent support".

"You have sent Labour a clear message: that the politics of genocide is no longer acceptable and our votes cannot be taken for granted. You can hold your heads up high knowing that you have slashed Labour’s second highest majority in the country. We will hold Labour accountable every step of the way," he said in a post on social media.

But in his own comments on social media, Akunjee appeared to blame Masroor for the failure to unseat Ali, saying: "I tried my best to convince people that we need a unity candidate in Bethnal Green & Stepney . I even stood down for the greater good of achieving that aim. Ajmal Masroor was a hard sell and failed once again as he has always done to win."

In a separate post directed at Masroor, Akunjee also repeated a line he had used during the campaign, commenting: "You lost when a turnip could have won."

After her victory was confirmed Ali thanked those who had campaigned for her re-election: "Together we showed that hope wins over fear, and unity over division. Together we will rebuild with a Labour Government. Thank you all so much for your tireless work and everything you have given so that we could win together."

Last November, Ali courted controversy after she abstained in a parliamentary ceasefire vote despite local calls for her to support the move.

Ali defended her decision to abstain, saying she could work more effectively inside the party.

Last month, Ali refused to criticise Labour Party leader Keir Starmer after he singled out the Bangladeshi community during a debate on immigration.

Tower Hamlets is home to a significant Bangladeshi community, comprising around 32 percent of the borough's population, making it one of the largest Bangladeshi communities in the United Kingdom.

Several Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets also criticised Starmer with the deputy leader of the council resigning in protest.

Starmer subsequently apologised for "any offence caused" and gave an exclusive interview with local Bangla channel ATN Bangla to repeat his apology.

Ali was criticised for not criticising Starmer after his comments, saying instead she intended to "relay the concerns in our community" to the Labour leader.