Labour Pulls Conference Event Over Backlash

Labour has removed a pro-Palestine group’s event from its conference agenda following a backlash from MPs over its founder’s past comments, according to GB News Politics. Friends of Al-Aqsa had secured a listing for a fringe gathering in Liverpool before the entry was dropped from online guides.

The controversy erupted after the party’s conference guide featured an event run by Friends of Al-Aqsa, with founder Ismail Patel scheduled to chair the gathering. The group describes itself as an NGO demanding political change for Palestine, but a 2024 Home Office-commissioned report categorized the organization as a far-left and Islamist group.

Concerns were swiftly raised by Labour parliamentarians, leading headquarters to remove the listing from the conference app and website. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp launched a scathing critique of the initial approval.

The Labour Party is so frightened of its own hard Left that it will platform a man who said the 7 October massacre was a pretext and that ‘Hamas is no terrorist organisation’. It is a disgrace that Labour HQ approved it in the first place.

— Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, GB News Politics

Senior figures inside the party are now reviewing internal vetting procedures to understand how staff permitted the booking. While fringe events are not organized directly by the party apparatus, critics argue that official promotion lent undue legitimacy to the gathering.

• Friends of Al-Aqsa event removed from official conference guide
• Founder Ismail Patel scheduled to chair the Liverpool fringe session
• Home Office 2024 report previously labelled the group far-left and Islamist
• Shadow home secretary criticises party leadership over vetting failure

The cancelled session was titled Labour’s Position on Gaza Is Betraying Justice & the People, and party officials have confirmed that the review into vetting processes remains ongoing.

Original source: Read the full report at GB News Politics