A tense debate broke out on GB News over Azhar Ali after a guest claimed Labour’s former Rochdale by-election candidate made a “mistake” with his anti-Israel comments.
A furious Jerry Hayes hit back at the assertion, prompting a fiery discussion on Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation.
Ali was dropped by the party on Monday after apologising for remarks he made about Israel, deemed a “conspiracy theory”.
Dr Sheikh Ramzy, Director of the Oxford Islamic Information Centre, said Ali should be given a second chance as his comments were a “mistake”, a claim which left Hayes gasping.
“He made a mistake. He apologised and we have to accept his apology.
“He is a good person, he made a mistake and we have to accept that.”
Jerry Hayes was quick to slap down the arguments, saying Ali’s “heart is full of blackness” in a scathing remark.
GB News presenter Rees-Mogg interjected to question Hayes as to whether we should accept that Ali’s case is simply one where he said something he regrets, something “we’re all guilty of”.
“Was the apology heartfelt? Was it something he honestly believed?”, he questioned.
Ramzy hit back to argue that “we’re all British and we have to get together” as he rallied against Hayes’s mention of religion.
“This is a matter of justice and care for each other”, he said.
“He told a wicked lie to win votes and you know it”, Hayes hit back.
Election law means Ali will still appear on the ballot for Labour, along with two other former Labour MPs, political firebrand George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain, and ex-Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, of the Reform Party.