MP Shockat Adam says the “potential death threat” kept him away from Parliament

Independent MP Shockat Adam, who defeated Labor MP Jon Ashworth in the seat of Leicester South earlier this month, missed a major announcement on Gaza after receiving a death threat. The politician, who campaigned on a pro-Gaza platform, said he welcomed the government’s decision to restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) in a post on X.

But he said he could not be in the House of Commons to hear Foreign Secretary David Lammy announce the move to reverse the funding freeze to the main UN agency providing aid to Gaza as it faces death threats.

He added that threats against him and his family members had become “commonplace”. He thanked Leicestershire Police and officers in Cambridgeshire for “tackling” the threat and assured his constituents he would not be deterred from his duties.

READ MORE: What went wrong for Jon Ashworth at Leicester South? Voters give a clear answer

Several senior Labor figures were defeated in the July 4 general election by independent candidates amid discontent over the party’s stance on the Gaza war. Mr. Adam, who said in his victory speech that he had won for Gaza

Former Labor leader Mr Ashworth, who abstained from a Gaza ceasefire vote last year, retweeted a post on Friday in which he noted that Mr Adam was not present at the UNRWA announcement. Mr Ashworth added: “But our Leicester South MP said his victory was for Gaza. Where is he?”

Mr Adam wrote in his own X post: “I welcome the government finally restoring funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) after it was abruptly withdrawn by the Tories, denying Palestinians life-saving aid .

“Today, this victory is the result of the powerful mass movement. Hundreds of thousands of people joined the peaceful marches and voters from all backgrounds, including all faiths and none, sent Labor a clear message at the general election. This silence has consequences.

“Now, the Government must move on. We demand an immediate end to British arms sales to Israel, the recognition of the state of Palestine and the withdrawal of the legal bid to block the International Criminal Court from seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t be in the gym today because I was dealing with a potential death threat.

“I would like to thank Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire Police for their professional, prompt and courteous assistance in dealing with this incident. Aggressive behavior towards me and my family has become commonplace, but I can assure my constituents that it will not deter me from my duties.”

The Foreign Office cut off all future funding for UNRWA in January amid allegations that aid agency staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack that started the latest outbreak of violence in the Middle East.

Mr Lammy told the Commons that the government was reassured that UNRWA was ensuring it met neutrality standards and was strengthening its procedures, including on verification, after Catherine Colonna, the former French foreign minister, carried out an independent review.

The restoration of UNRWA funding was one of a number of Gaza-related demands that Mr Adam and four other independent MPs, including former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, outlined in a letter to the foreign secretary on Monday.