Foreign Secretary David Cameron believes that providing aid to Gaza and working towards a ceasefire can help reduce community tensions in East Lancashire. He emphasized the importance of ensuring aid reaches Gaza and allowing aid workers to move safely in the region. Cameron also stated that it is crucial to demonstrate to the people of the UK that their taxes are being used effectively for aid and development [f17549bc].
When asked about the Conservative seats in East Lancashire, including health minister Andrew Stephenson's chances of winning in Pendle and Clitheroe, Cameron declined to make predictions but expressed his support for Stephenson and his role in promoting British aerospace products [f17549bc].
Shanaz Saddique, a pro-Palestinian candidate, is mobilizing Muslim votes in the UK election by tapping into discontent over the main political parties' positions on the war in Gaza. The Muslim Vote campaign is advising voters to pick pro-Palestine candidates running as independents or from smaller parties. The campaign aims to send a strong message to those who do get elected. The war in Gaza has become a human rights argument for Muslim voters. The most likely party to feel the effect of unhappiness among Muslim voters is Keir Starmer's Labour Party, which is still predicted to win the election but has faced criticism for only gradually shifting towards calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. A Savanta poll found that 44% of Muslim voters ranked the conflict as one of the top five issues and 86% said they would consider backing an independent running on the issue [72a320ff].