Rupa Huq calls out ‘harassment’ she faced during General Election campaign over Gaza

Image: Ealing Central & Acton MP Rupa Huq

Ealing Central & Acton MP says 2024 was her “toughest campaign” yet 

Labour’s overwhelming majority in the 2024 general election has not only transformed the atmosphere in the House of Commons but also brought new challenges and experiences for returning MPs, including Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton.

This election saw the most diverse Parliament ever, with the highest number of Muslim MPs. Dr. Huq, back for her fourth term, swore her oath of allegiance on the Qur’an this time, marking a departure from her previous choice of the atheist affirmation.

In a recent opinion piece for The Guardian, Dr. Huq said Labour’s win shifted the “end-of-days atmosphere” under the Conservatives into one of “buzzy optimism”. Despite this, she said she faced her “toughest campaign” yet, facing new levels of what she described as ‘intimidation’ and ‘harassment’.

Dr. Huq, who has now represented Ealing Central & Acton since 2015, said Labour’s “poorly communicated” stance on Gaza led to the loss of several former parliamentary colleagues, including two shadow cabinet ministers.

Two of those were were Jonathan Ashworth – who lost his seat of Leicester South to an independent candidate supporting Palestinian Liberation, and Thangham Debbonaire – who lost her seat of Bristol Central to the Co-Leader of the Green Party Carla Denyer.

Both were regularly challenged in the general election campaign on Labour’s stance on Gaza, with pro-Palestinian activists citing Keir Starmer’s infamous and widely shared LBC interview, in which he appeared to endorse the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in response to the October 7 terror attack in Israel.

Rupa says she was not insulated from this, despite having been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights throughout her Parliamentary career. Dr. Huq has served on a delegation to Palestine, and was one of 56 Labour MPs, including Hammersmith & Chiswick MP Andy Slaughter, who rebelled over Gaza – voting for an SNP motion calling for a ceasefire.

Despite this, Dr. Huq says she was “constantly barracked” throughout the general election campaign, with accusations of genocide being hurled at her.

Oh Give Me a break @RupaHuq. If you want people to believe you then answer the following questions:

✔️Do you condemn what Keir Starmer said on LBC radio ?

✔️Do you consider what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide?

✔️Can you call for abolishing the Labour Friends of Israel in… https://t.co/YraikCSGZf

— Sameh Habeeb (@Samehahabeeb) June 21, 2024

Above: Sameh Habeeb – a Workers’ Party of Great Britain candidate for Ealing North criticising Rupa Huq during the campaign on X.

“We live in times where there is little room for nuance or understanding”

Writing in The Guardian about the harassment she says she faced, singling out George Galloway’s Workers’ Party of Great Britain, Dr Huq said:

“I was constantly barracked throughout all of mine, with accusations of genocide being hurled at me despite the fact that I was one of 56 Labour MP Gaza rebels. I have served on a delegation to Palestine, which is an experience that makes you want to speak up. And I voted for a ceasefire before it was fashionable, ie. Labour party policy.”

“The continuous and creepy filming by the Workers party during one meeting – including following me out to feed the social media narrative that I was “chased away” – meant I was trapped in a stand-off after the next hustings, waiting for the coast to be clear to leave.”

The Workers’ Party of Great Britain have previously denied harassing candidates over their position on Gaza. Various Workers’ Party candidates, and other unaffiliated pro-Palestinian activists, have said Labour MPs have not gone far enough in their support for Palestinians.

Sameh Habeeb – who stood for the Workers’ Party in Dr Huq’s neighbouring constituency of Ealing North, urged Dr. Huq on X to join the widening chorus of international voices to describe Israel’s war in Gaza as genocide, as well as calling for an abolition of Labour Friends of Israel, an active and powerful lobby group within the party.

Dr. Huq expressed concern over the toxic tactics of what she described as a “selfish, angry minority who refuse to listen to reason”, comparing their tactics to the divisive actions of environmentalist group Just Stop Oil.

She emphasised that while everyone wanted a ceasefire, personal attacks and intimidation do not help the cause. She recalled the tragic deaths of Jo Cox and David Amess during her time in Parliament, highlighting where hate-fuelled rhetoric can lead.

Labour’s initial days in power have seen stronger positions on a ceasefire, recognition of a Palestinian state, and enforcing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – all of which Dr. Huq says is promising.

Rupa Huq achieved her largest majority yet in the election, winning the seat by 13,300 votes (24.3%), but she recognises the significant work ahead to rebuild trust and confidence with various segments of the electorate, particularly the diverse Muslim communities.

“The work starts here,” Huq concluded, “but when your interlocutors have their fingers in their ears, it’s going to be a hard job.”