In late October, Leanne Mohamad relinquished her membership of the Labour party, dismayed after Keir Starmer said Israel had the right to withhold water and power from Palestinians trapped in Gaza. “When Keir Starmer said what he did on LBC, I was like, I’m done with politics, I’m done with this whole system,” she said. She was not the only one. Although Starmer later sought to clarify his stance, the interview sparked criticism and prompted resignations among Labour councillors, which was seen as a sign that the party’s position on Gaza could prove costly at the ballot box. Eight months on, Mohamad, 23, is out canvassing, hoping to drum up support for her campaign to become the independent MP for Ilford North. She is fighting to unseat the Labour heavyweight Wes Streeting. It was Streeting’s decision to abstain in a ceasefire vote in November that prompted Mohamad, an avid supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, to stand as a candidate. “People were angry, my community was angry because a genocide was taking place in front of their eyes, livestreamed and televised, and their local MP did not vote for a ceasefire,” she told the Guardian. More than 37,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza since October, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the 7 October attacks by Hamas, when about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Polling suggests Ilford North will be a safe Labour hold, with Streeting, the shadow health secretary, predicted to increase his share of the vote. Streeting rose rapidly from the backbenches after his election to parliament in 2015 and is tipped by many as a future Labour leader. He has been described as being on the Blairite side of the party and was unsupportive of Corbyn’s leadership. Despite Streeting’s high profile, Mohamad is positive she can succeed, describing it as a two-horse race between herself and Labour. “The Conservative vote is haemorrhaging all over the country. In Ilford North, our engagement on the doorstep tells us that they will be lucky to safeguard even half of their 2019 vote share. Within this context, it is very fair to argue it is a two-horse race,” she said. “For sure Labour will win the largest share of seats across the UK, because of the impending Conservative collapse. However, I believe the dynamics in Ilford North is very different. There is a visceral distaste for Labour.” The constituency is located in the east London borough of Redbridge. It is an ethnically diverse area, with more than 47% of residents identifying as Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh in 2021 and more than 31% describing themselves as Muslim. The area’s average (median) age is 36, which is slightly higher than London’s as a whole but lower than England’s.
Mohamad said many voters had lost faith in Labour, not only in relation to its stance on Gaza but also because of its treatment of Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen, who is standing as an independent in Chingford and Woodford Green. “Look in Ilford North, tell me where you see any Labour posters around, they’re nowhere to be seen,” she said. “People are disillusioned by both of these parties, people are fed up with Labour and I think they feel very betrayed.” Mohamad insists her campaign is about more than Palestine. She said she was focusing on the NHS, education, and would speak for local issues, unhindered by party whips. “No one can argue that Gaza is what brought us together,” she said. “.” However, Mohamad’s position on the war in Gaza may attract criticism. After the 7 October attacks on Israel, Mohamad tweeted: “A historic sight of the people of Gaza breaking out of the world’s largest open-air prison – captive population of 2 million besieged for 15 years under Israeli blockade. Liberation is possible.” She later deleted the post. When asked if she regretted it, Mohamad said: “The tweet sought to address the punishing 17-year siege of Gaza … As a person of Palestinian heritage, I have always sought to bring global attention to the unjust circumstances that the people of Palestine endure. I speak extensively on the prevailing injustices committed on and after October 7th and have worked in human rights policy, advocating for the right of all people to live in safety and security, and importantly with equal rights under the law.” One voter who approached Mohamad, who did not want to be named, told the Guardian she would vote for her due to her position on the war in the Middle East. “Wes Streeting did not call for a ceasefire early enough and I’m just completely not happy with it. I’m a Labour supporter usually, but I’m just not happy with their stance on the Gaza issue,” the voter said. Since February, Labour has called for a “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the lifting of all Israeli restrictions on the flow of aid. While distributing leaflets, Mohamad engaged with several commuters, greeting some with the Arabic greeting as-salamu alaykum, and was often asked to pose for selfies. Employees at a business near the station spotted Mohamad through the window and raised their fists in support of the candidate. One person, Bhavin, who described himself as a staunch Labour supporter but undecided in this year’s election, questioned Mohamad on her policies. “She’s given me a lot to think about, to be honest with you,” he said. “OK, they’re voting for a Gaza ceasefire, but what about education, what about health, what about all that, so a lot of different things and you’ve just got to weigh up all the pieces of the puzzle.” When asked what made her different, Mohamad responded: “I’m young, I’m a Muslim, a visible Muslim woman, I am Palestinian and I am local. I am actually from my community. I’m not being parachuted in. I’m not here to represent corporate interests or party agendas, I’m simply here to represent my people. I’m not subjected to any party lines or party whips, so that’s what makes me different – a true voice of the people by the people.”