Keir Starmer has been criticised for failing to challenge a caller to a radio phone-in who advanced a racist conspiracy theory and hailed Israel as an ethnonationalist utopia.
The caller to his LBC phone-in said she opposed footballers taking a knee in solidarity with antiracism “because if anything the racial inequality is now against the indigenous people of Britain, because we are set to become a minority by 2066”.
The claim is a feature of the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that claims elites are using migration to make white people an ethnic minority in Europe.
“We just have to look across to the Middle East,” the caller continued. “Israel has a state law that they are the only people in that country to have self-determination. Well why can’t I as a white British female have that same right?”
A controversial law was passed by Israel’s government in 2018 declaring that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country. It has been criticised by the EU and Israeli civil rights groups, and denounced by Arab Israeli politicians as “the death of our democracy”.
In response, Starmer told the caller: “We all have those rights.” He defended the taking the knee gesture and added that he thought “the vast majority of people do want a more equal society”.
The Labour leader’s response drew criticism from his own MPs. “When white supremacist conspiracy theories and racist undemocratic laws are promoted on national radio, they must be called out and vigorously challenged,” said Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South.
Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, said: “For neither the presenter nor Keir to, at the very least, explore further, unpack and robustly challenge such an extreme statement is frankly appalling.”
Nadia Whittome, the MP for Nottingham East, said: “This is a ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory as old as time. We must be able to recognise and robustly challenge white supremacy – especially when it is promoted on national radio.”
The incident comes as Labour struggles with its relationship with minorities. Starmer was this month urged to return money from a party donor whose tweets have been condemned by Muslim groups as Islamophobic, weeks after a survey of Muslim supporters found a lack of trust in the leadership. There have also been reports this year of a disalignment of black voters from the party.
Faiza Shaheen, the director of the Centre for Labour and Social Studies thinktank, who ran as a Labour candidate in 2019, said: “There’s part of me just shutting down completely from the UK political scene. It just feels like no one has our back here now, and it is just too painful.”
On Monday night, Labour issued a statement saying Starmer “completely rejects the racist conspiracy theory that this caller espoused”, and that under his leadership “the Labour party stands for a patriotism that is built on the total inclusion of Brits from all ethnic backgrounds”.
“Keir gave a robust defence of sportspeople taking the knee to shine a light on the deep racial inequalities and injustices against black, Asian and minority ethnic people that exist in our society,” the statement said.