Councillor Rahman moved to the UK from Bangladesh in 1985 and has served on Newcastle Council since 2010. In May 2021 he became the first BAME individual to hold the ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of Newcastle. Councillor Rahman is a dedicated campaigner against hate crime and for equality following the murder of his father in a racist attack in 1977 in Wallsend. He has been a member of the Labour Party since 2008.
In a letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer, he wrote: "During my 13 years as a Labour councillor, I have faced various forms of abuse within the party. I have... concluded that the party does not take other forms of racism including Islamophobia and hate crimes as seriously as it does antisemitism."
He continues: "I cannot accept your inhumane position in support of the Israeli government's continuous bombardment of innocent Palestinian people."
"Your reluctance to call for an immediate ceasefire indicates that you no longer have the moral authority to be the leader of the Labour party."
A spokesperson for Newcastle Labour Group said: “As a Labour group we are incredibly sad to hear of Councillor Habib Rahman’s decision today. We would like to thank him for all he has done for his constituents in Elswick and the City of Newcastle at large.”
“The Labour Party is an anti-racist party, committed to combating and campaigning against all forms of racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
This letter comes after the police removed pro-Palestine campaigners from a city council meeting last month.
Councillor Rahman will now act as an Independent on the city council and will continue to represent his Elswick constituents until elections in 2026.