Eleven councillors in Burnley, including the council leader, have resigned from Labour over its stance on the conflict in Gaza and Israel, describing membership as “untenable”.
Labour remains the largest group on Burnley council, it has fallen from 22 of 45 seats to 12.
The eleven councillors will now sit as Independents
Burnley council leader Afrasiab Anwar said:
“We’ve tried to work within the party & tried to get the messaage across, but the fact that the party aren’t listening means either we don’t have a voice or the party isn’t the right party for us
Interviewed on the Today programme he added:
“What seems to be happening is that the Labour Party will say and do anything to win elections. Are they taking the Muslim vote for granted? I think it’s wider than that. I think they’re taking the grassroots for granted.”
