Walsall councillor resigns from Labour party over Keir Starmer remarks about Bangladesh

Palfrey Councillor Shakila Hussain, Walsall’s first Bengali councillor, said she could not remain with a party which ‘scapegoats an entire nationality to pander to voters’.

In her resignation, Councillor Hussain wrote: “It is with regret that I must tender my resignation as a member of the Labour Party with immediate effect.

“It is in my view that the values of the Labour Party no longer align with my own, nor with the values of my constituents whom I will continue to represent and work for in an independent capacity.”

The comments made by Mr Starmer were heard in a media interview last week when the party leader slammed the Conservative government over its handling of asylum applications. Starmer vowed that if his party came into power, ‘planes would be going off’, returning people to their home countries.

He said: “On the first few days in government, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll put stuff back in the returns unit, I’ll make sure that we’ve got planes going off, not to Rwanda because that’s an expensive gimmick, they will go back to the countries where people come from.”

When pressed for a specific example, Starmer responded: “At the moment, people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed, because they’re not being processed.”

The remarks provoked backlash from inside the party and out. Labour has since described the clip from the interview as ‘misinformation’.

In another media interview, Labour politician Jonathan Ashworth shared a similar sentiment on returns. He told the BBC: “We’re going to process people’s claims, and those people who shouldn’t be here, when they come from countries like Bangladesh or wherever, we’re going to send them back.”

As well as the remarks on Bangladeshi migrants, Councillor Hussain said being a part of the Labour Party limited her capacity to advocate for civilians in Palestine. Since October 7, the conflict in Gaza has seen a death toll of more than 35,000 Palestinians, more than 60,000 have been displaced and more than 80,000 injured.

She wrote: “I have been vocal in my support for the civilians of Palestine, calling for an immediate ceasefire. I feel I am limited in my capacity as an advocate for this cause by staying in the party.

“To stay with a party after recent public comments made by senior members would be an affront to my identity as a British-Bangladeshi Muslim immigration solicitor. I will continue to present constituents and migrants of any, and all, nationalities and speak out against the horror taking place in the Middle East.”

Councillor Matt Ward, Labour group leader for Walsall, said: “It’s disappointing to see that Councillor Hussain has decided to resign over Keir’s words. He apologised the next day if he had caused offence to anyone.

“I firmly believe that you’re always better off sitting at the table to argue your case than sitting on the outside looking in. The residents of Palfrey voted her in as a Labour councillor and although she has left the Labour party, the Labour party hasn’t left them and if residents need anything, they can get in contact with me and I will always do my utmost to help.”

Report by Local Democracy Reporter Rachel Alexander