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A mosque in South Wales that hosted Sir Keir Starmer has apologised for the “hurt and confusion” caused by the visit after a backlash from some within the Muslim community.

The South Wales Islamic Centre issued a statement late on Tuesday evening in which it sought to “clarify our stance” following the Labour leader’s visit on Sunday.

It said subsequent social media posts by Sir Keir “gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit” which it said “put the South Wales Islamic Centre and the wider Muslim community into disrepute”.

The statement has reignited tensions within the Labour Party over its stance on Gaza, with one source telling Sky News there had been a “pattern of behaviour” that had been “deeply insensitive” to the Muslim community and left some MPs and staff “in tears”.

Sky News understands that there will be a meeting tomorrow in which Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner will meet Muslim MPs to address the ongoing situation.

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The Labour leader made the visit to the mosque against the backdrop of criticism from within his own party at the position he had taken towards Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack on 7 October.

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In the immediate days after the Hamas incursion, Sir Keir gave an interview with LBC in which he appeared to suggest that the Israel’s decision to withhold water and power from Gaza was proportionate and justified.

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In the widely shared clip, the Labour leader was asked what a “proportionate” response would look like, to which Sir Keir replied that responsibility “lies with Hamas” and that Israel “has the right to defend herself”.

Presenter Nick Ferrari interjected: “A siege is appropriate? Cutting off power, cutting off water?”

The Labour leader replied: “I think that Israel does have that right. It is an ongoing situation.”

He added: “Obviously everything should be done within international law, but I don’t want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself and Hamas bears responsibility for the terrorist acts.”

The comments prompted 23 Labour councillors to resign in protest.

The Labour leader then sought to clarify his remarks, saying that while he believed Israel had a “right to self-defence”, that did not mean it should withhold humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is home to 2.2 million civilians.

In the statement, the mosque’s representatives said they “fully understand and share the anger many in the Muslim community are feeling, both here in Wales and across the UK” and added: “We apologise for the hurt and confusion that our hosting of this visit has caused.

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“Our strength is in our unity, and we are aware that this visit has weakened and undermined that unity.”

They said the Labour leader visited the mosque at “short notice” but there was a a “robust and frank conversation which reflected the sentiments Muslim communities are feeling at this time”.

“Members of the community directly challenged Keir on his statements made on the Israeli government’s right to cut food, electricity and water to Gaza, warranting war crimes as well as his failure to call for an immediate ceasefire.”

The statement came after Sir Keir posted a tweet from the visit, in which he said he had “repeated our calls for all hostages to be released, more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, for the water and power to be switched back on, and a renewed focus on the two state solution”.

Sources questioned the Labour leader’s decision to mention hostages at the mosque, with one saying: “People have been killed and we are calling for hostages to be released. They are nothing to do with it.

“Our policy seems to be to alienate the Muslim community.”

A Labour MP also told Sky News: “Wouldn’t it have been better to say you spoke with congregants and acknowledged the grief and fear many had, stood with them against rising islamophobia and gave a commitment that we would not stand for the situation in Israel and Gaza being used to divide communities here?

“I think he just needs some lessons in less robotic and awkward comms from Sadiq, Burnham and Sarwar, who seem to do better in empathy and capturing the mood better.

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“You don’t need to get all the lines out in every tweet. How was that centre going to help release hostages? It was a pointless and irrelevant thing to add.”

The MP called on the Labour leader to apologise for the initial LBC interview as well as backing a ceasefire or “humanitarian pause”.

A number of Labour MPs have begun making calls for a ceasefire or humanitarian pause, including chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion, Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, and former shadow cabinet minister Rosena Allin-Khan.

The United Nations, the Palestinians and many other countries made the request at a high-level UN meeting today, but Israel’s foreign minister said it was the country’s “right to destroy Hamas”.

However, the government and the Labour Party have not yet called for a ceasefire.

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.

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MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

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MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

An MP who was ousted from the Labour Party has announced she is setting up a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.

Independent MP Zarah Sultana said she and the former Labour leader will co-lead the new party, which she did not provide a name for.

She said other independent MPs, campaigners and activists from across the country will join them, but did not name anyone.

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Ms Sultana also said she was “resigning” from the Labour Party after 14 years.

She was suspended as a Labour MP shortly after they came to power last summer for voting against the government maintaining the two-child benefit cap.

Several others from the left of the party, including Mr Corbyn, were also suspended for voting against the government, and also remained as independent MPs.

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However, Ms Sultana was still a member of the Labour Party – until now.

Zarah Sultana

Mr Corbyn has previously said the independent MPs who were suspended from Labour would “come together” to provide an “alternative.

The other four are: Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain.

Mr Corbyn and the other four independents have not said if they are part of the new party Ms Sultana announced.

In her announcement, Ms Sultana said she would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap again and also voted against scrapping the winter fuel payment for most pensioners.

Ms Sultana also voted against the government’s welfare bill this week, which was heavily watered down as Sir Keir Starmer tried to prevent a major rebellion from his own MPs.

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On Wednesday, Ms Sultana spoke passionately against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror organisation – but MPs eventually voted for it to be.

She said to proscribe it is “a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth”.

Ms Sultana said they were founding the new party because “Westminster is broken but the real crisis is deeper – just 50 families now own more wealth than half the UK population”.

She called Reform leader Nigel Farage “a billionaire-backed grifter” leading the polls “because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.

Reform leader Nigel Farage attending day three of Royal Ascot.
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Ms Sultana called Nigel Farage a ‘billionaire-backed grifter’. Pic: PA

The MP, who has spoken passionately about Gaza, added: “Across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists.

“But the truth is clear: this government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it.

“We are not going to take this anymore.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.

“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”

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Tornado Cash co-founder keeps testimony plans unclear ahead of trial

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Tornado Cash co-founder keeps testimony plans unclear ahead of trial

Tornado Cash co-founder keeps testimony plans unclear ahead of trial

Roman Storm is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom for his criminal trial on July 14, facing money laundering and conspiracy charges.

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US Senator Cynthia Lummis drafts standalone crypto tax bill

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US Senator Cynthia Lummis drafts standalone crypto tax bill

US Senator Cynthia Lummis drafts standalone crypto tax bill

The Wyoming Senator seeks to end double taxation and add clarity to the tax treatment of crypto staking, mining, and lending transactions.

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