The deputy leader of Britain’s Labour Party, Angela Rayner, is promising voters that if her party comes into power in the upcoming national election, it will recognize Palestine as a state, echoing the pitch being made by other Labour candidates vying for young and Muslim voters.

“If Labour get into power we will recognize Palestine,” Ms. Rayner told voters in her Ashton-under-Lyne seat, according to a video posted on X. She added that she would go further and “rebuild Palestine” and “rebuild Gaza.” Doubled down on her plea to those predominantly Muslim voters, she assured that “if my resigning as an MP now would bring a ceasefire, I would do it. I would do it.” 

Ms. Rayner’s pitch is the latest effort by Labour Party members to make headway with Muslim voters as Britain’s six-week election campaign kicks off. Prime Minister Sunak’s surprise decision last week to hold an election on July 4 set the Kingdom’s political parties scrambling to appeal to voters, with Labour a clear favorite to win the most seats in the House of Commons.

On Tuesday, the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party, John Swinney, called upon the government to follow the lead of Ireland, Norway, and Spain in recognising a Palestinian state. 

Last week, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer offered that same promise, but made it contingent on the timing of the peace process. “We need a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel, and recognition has to be part of that,” he told the BBC last Friday. 

Mr. Starmer has called for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict and echoed his more liberal colleagues’ calls for a ceasefire, while also insisting that Israel has a right to defend itself within international law.

The party’s support for Israel has prompted backlash from young voters and Muslim voters in particular. In Britain’s local elections early this month, Labour made significant gains against the unpopular governing Conservatives, but was in fierce competition with more progressive parties on some local councils. 

The opposition party has also been embroiled in internal battles over its stance on the war in Gaza. The list of lawmakers who are quitting Parliament has grown to nearly 120, a handful of which are resigning over the Israel issue. Traditional Labour members have voiced concerns that Mr. Starmer hasn’t done enough to shift the party’s position towards supporting a ceasefire in Gaza.