Former mayor leads calls to free Palestine in election speeches

The long-serving Labour councillor was among a number of candidates to call for peace in Gaza during the count at Perdiswell Leisure Centre on Friday (May 3).

Cllr Riaz was elected in the newly-created Fort Royal ward alongside fellow Labour candidate councillor Atif Sadiq.

Jabba Riaz delivers a speech after being elected last week (Image: NQ)

In his victory speech, Cllr Riaz said: “To the people of Fort Royal, we are at your service.

“We are ready to serve you again for another four years - I thank you and I leave you with my message of love, not hate.

“Finally, there is a real, real concern that the Labour party nationally have to take into consideration and that is the awful, tragic events that are happening in Gaza.

“Everybody is aware, we cannot ignore them. The party nationally needs to listen and understand what is going on, on the ground.

“We here as local councillors are fighting the Labour cause, trying our best for our communities and there is genuine concern for what is going on in Gaza. Free Palestine.”

Jabba Riaz and Atif Sadiq wait as returning officer Shane Flynn reads the election results (Image: NQ)

Green Party stalwart Neil Laurenson also ended his speech with a call to free Palestine, and embraced Cllr Riaz following his election speech.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper admitted on Friday that Labour had lost council seats to independents in some parts of the country over its stance on Gaza.

Labour has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but has said Israel has the right to defend itself. 

Ms Cooper told BBC News: “We do strongly recognise there are areas where we have had independent candidates who have been particularly strongly campaigning on Gaza and where there is really strong feeling about this issue, because tens of thousands of people have been killed.

“It is just devastating to see what is happening, which is why we need an immediate ceasefire and for hostages to be released and why we hope some progress will be made in the negotiations.

“We do recognise the strength of feeling that there is and of course we will continue to work just as we do in every area across the country to earn votes back in future.”