Is Gaza going to be a general election issue?

[mids2019]

Just his really......

Obviously a lot is going to be going on in the country but is Gaza going to be any election leaflets? Are Labour going to perhaps slip it into leaflets in regions with high Muslim concentrations e.g. inner city Birmingham?

I personally think the big parties will avoid this controversial foreign policy issue but I don't if that will leave room for any independents.

It will be an issue in some quarters but not enough to affect the overall outcome of the general election.

@Westfacing

pretty much agree.

I think Labour or aren't too worried about losing 1 or 2 seats potentially on this issue.

I wonder if Geoarge Galloway will hold his seat?

if the .'Muslim Gore's were organised possibly they could demand a little bit of airtime but unlikely.

I think speaking about it could actually damage a parties changes in some cases.
It may be a small sample size but look at Eurovison.

I agree Eurovision showed an amount of silent support towards Israel and I think Labour are canny enough to see this. There will be those Labour candidates with a large number of Muslim constituents who maybe will want to somehow have some mention of this on local leaflets but so don't think the central party will sanction this.

Also Labour's policy isn't to stop finding for Israel and I don't think that is going to change. Possibly a lot of Muslims not voting this time round?

I honestly think most people are more concerned with health services, education provision, affordability of food, rent etc.

@Santasbigredbobblehat

pretty much.

at a constituency level there is a lot less of a possibility of independents getting in.

I think authenticates may get fielded one or two question a by the media but I think this might be goading for sound bites. I wonder if the Tories might try and split Labour a bit on this?

The actions of the major political parties have demonstrated their general regard for a number of issues which are important to me, including integrity, regard for international law, and equality.

I will not give one iota of support or endorsement to any party which, through their actions and inactions, has supported and facilitated the murders of my friends and colleagues, the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, and the prevention of efforts for peace.

100% agree.
I have lost any iota of respect I (never) had for any of the fuckers who haven’t spoken up or who have blatantly excused and pardoned Israel’s continued actions.
They have shown their true colours and lack of any integrity.
If they have such little respect for life in Palestine - what respect do they actually have for any us humans?
Fuck the lot of them.

So are people simply not going to vote of they have a strong opinion on this?

I'm going to vote. For someone else.

The dilemma of who to vote for when all offerings are so utterly inadequate is going to be extremely difficult.

If your view is replicated with all the Pro-Palestinian supporters, then I will be most relieved as it will mean a defeat for an institutionally anti-Semitic Labour Party. KS has done his best but the old attitudes remain...

I would hope that people will vote for and hold to account the manifesto that works for British people and their issues here not on foreign policy for which we have no influence or standing.
How will the parties manage the poor state of this country e.g. the NHS, education, railways, water (no investment made since privatisation!) etc. These are what directly affects you and I (Scirocco I'm looking at you!)
My MP is a Labour one. Sadly I don't want to vote for her as we disagree about certain issues. Even without my vote she will more than probably retain her seat with an increased majority.
As a woman I know I should vote after all our predecessors fought do hard for us to do so but I feel politically homeless.

I doubt it.

You're looking at me for what?

What precisely do you doubt?

That Labour would lose. Look at the polls. They're on track for a solid victory over the Tories.

I completely agree with you.

Scirocco your post at 06.33.

What about it?

Scirocco @06.33

' I will not give one iota of support or endorsement to any party which, through their actions and inactions, has supported and facilitated the murders of my friends and colleagues, the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, and the prevention of efforts for peace.'

It absolutely is an issue for me, but I realise I'm out of step with most people, who just go 'oh but there's genocide in these places, you're not talking about that' - a weak argument because actually we should be, elsewhere, but the question here is Gaza and Israeli interests and we have a looooong history in that part of the world. (Or it's 'what about the Tories? They aren't doing what you want' - I have zero interest in the Tories, they are beyond caring about.)

I can't support any party that isn't vehemently and vocally against committing war crimes: we are arming a genocide. Those chickens will come home to roost in future decades and I'm ashamed of the UK to be on the side that's going to have to answer to that.

And it's a skill issue: the Labour Party had a problem with anti-semitism, and dealt with it. If the Labour Party now has no politicians who can present the argument that (despite having ignored antisemitism from some members in the past) having a manifesto pledge to stop arming a genocide does not equal antisemitism: that's a problem. It takes nuance in the present media climate, but it has to be done. If they don't, can't, won't, then that's an issue of competence as well as morality and I can't support them.

Ideally we'd be in a situation where Labour was going to immediately implement multiple hard-hitting changes to things like child poverty: our individual (and therefore national) wealth being drained by rapacious fuel companies, supermarket prices ditto, the absolute state of our water infrastructure, the environment. Just for starters and off the top of my head. And yeah they are going to say some stuff and might do some things, might not. That's Labour these days. So if you're thinking I am wrong for not focusing on my own country, well it's because I don't have much faith in Labour currently on that score, Keir Starmer flip-flops all over the place (and he does - it's on camera!). So it's not like it's either/or: either you care about Gaza OR you care about the UK. I think they are a much-depleted and compromised party on both counts.

So which party will you vote for VerlynneWebb?

I feel as an older woman that I am disenfranchised so am interested in other people's reasons for why they won't vote Labour (it's pretty obvious why many of us won't vote Conservative).

@blackcherryconserve I genuinely don't know.

That's what I wrote, yes. I'm still not sure what you're asking or looking at me to do or say, though.