The Middle East is already at war, yet Keir Starmer has not stopped describing the "vile hatred" that exists in Britain toward Muslims and Jews.

The Prime Minister has lamented the rise in nauseating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, which is evident in our streets and on social media. The only reasonable course of action is to stop it from spreading and then turn the tide, but far too many MPs, primarily from the Right, see benefits in inciting the mob.

Nigel Farage refused to apologise for inflaming conspiracy theorists who falsely claimed the Southport killings were by a Muslim asylum seeker – the suspect is British-born. But it fuelled attacks on police, nurses, taxi drivers, members of the public, mosques, hotels, shops and, in Sunderland, a Citizens Advice Bureau.

He wasn’t alone, however. On the first anniversary of the horrific Hamas pogrom that a year ago slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and seized 250 hostages, the tinderbox tensions are worsening not lessening. British Jews and Muslims both live in fear as the Middle East conflict spirals out of control. Benjamin Netanyahu’s vengeful settler government slaughtering 42,000 in Gaza and now striking Lebanon is killing more civilians than it is Hamas and, very likely, Hezbollah enemies.

The conflict with Tehran’s authoritarian religious rulers will, unless checked, result not only in fresh bloodshed but potentially huge financial mayhem here, when Iran is the world’s seventh largest oil producer and a fifth of the globe’s consumption passes through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. October 7 changed UK politics. Starmer initially backed Israel cutting water, food, power and medical supplies to Gazans – a war crime – resulting in four Muslim independents taking Parliamentary seats from Labour.

Next election it could be more. Starmer isn’t viewed as neutral in Muslim communities, when the RAF will shoot down Iranian drones but not Israeli missiles killing Palestinians and Lebanese. Jewish supporters of Israel and their allies protest that blocking 30 arms licences was unjustified. Calling for calm, protecting all British citizens, prosecuting racists and striving for peace are all legitimate but the Prime Minister taking Israel’s side, which he has, comes at a political cost.