‘I cannot stand by and allow a genocide to take place,’ says independent candidate Maxine Bowler

Running as an independent Socialist candidate in Brightside and Hillsborough, Maxine Bowler’s campaign is driven by a single, unyielding focus; raising awareness and pushing for action on the issue of Palestine.

Bowler’s journey into politics has been marked by a series of profound events that shaped her perspective. “I couldn’t stand by any longer and see self-entitled politicians ignoring our mass marches,” she says, referencing the continuous protests since Israel’s war against Gaza erupted last October.

These marches, Bowler emphasises, have seen millions of people united in their call for justice for Palestine, yet they feel ignored by the political elite.

Her frustration is particularly directed at her opponent, Labour MP Gill Furniss, who she criticises for abstaining on crucial votes related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. “If she ignores people on these important questions despite receiving numerous letters and responding with the ‘two equal sides,’ rhetoric, it’s just unacceptable. I cannot stand by and allow a genocide to take place and that is exactly what is happening.”

Bowler’s commitment to the Palestinian cause is clear and unwavering, driven by the harrowing statistics of casualties and missing persons in the region.

The death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has climbed to more than 37,900, with the majority of victims being women and children. The figures exclude tens of thousands of dead who are believed to be buried in the bombed-out ruins of homes, shops, shelters and other buildings.

Over 86,969 Palestinians have also been wounded, according to the Ministry of Health.

Bowler’s activism spans back to her involvement in the Stop the War Coalition in the early 2000s and her advocacy for the Yemeni community during the first Gulf War. These experiences, alongside her efforts in Kashmir and Calais, have solidified her stance against what she perceives as systemic injustice and the marginalisation of underrepresented communities.

“This is a democratic deficit. People’s voices are ignored and people are othered as well,” she says, drawing parallels between international conflicts and domestic issues of racism and exclusion.

“I was involved in going out to Kashmir when the earthquake took place because our country was really happy to spend money on weapons of mass destruction to kill people abroad, and demonise all Muslims here but when people desperately needed our help in Kashmir after the earthquake took place, they just ignored those voices again.”

She adds: “The divide and rule strategy that has been constantly used by the British across the globe, is now used in this country as well.”

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The UK abstained from voting on three United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Concurrently, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explicitly expressed his desire for Israel to “win” the war.

Moreover, instead of calling for Israel to be held accountable for its numerous war crimes, the Labour Party reinforced a unified stance of fervent support in Westminster for Israel’s systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.

When asked about the specific actions she believes the UK government should take regarding Israel and Palestine, Bowler is unequivocal: “They should stop dealing arms to Israel.” She goes on to criticise the UK’s media and political alignment with American and Israeli narratives. She calls out what she sees as misinformation and propaganda, arguing for a complete reevaluation of the UK’s foreign policy towards Israel.

In addition to ending the arms trade, the UK must recognise and address what she describes as the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Her vision is of a return to harmonious coexistence in the region, rejecting accusations of anti-Semitism and promoting a message of peace and multiculturalism.

Despite the uphill battle, Bowler’s message is resonating with many in her constituency. She recounts her experiences canvassing her area, where she finds a significant number of voters are also concerned about Gaza and using their vote to show their discontent with the current government.

However, she also notes that a significant portion of the electorate are choosing not to vote due to their frustration with politicians they once trusted.

“The constituency I’m standing in is probably one of the ten per cent most deprived constituencies in the country and that means that there are massive housing problems, massive problems around education… Young people feel they’ve got no jobs, no future. People feel that not only are they ignored on Palestine, but they’re ignored on every other question as well.”

“I believe [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu, [US Presiden] Biden and [UK Prime Minister] Sunak, are complicit in genocide. They have blood on their hands. But when you look at [UK Labour leader] Starmer, he has purged his party of people who support the Palestinians, accusing them of anti-Semitism which is just not true.”

“We are against the idea of Zionism that drives the settler movement forward to encroach upon the lands of Palestine. I actually don’t believe in a two-state solution either. The two-state solution is a problem because if you look at the historic map of Palestine, they’ve encroached and encroached and claim it’s about Hamas. But look what they’re doing in the West Bank as well. There’s no Hamas in the West Bank,” she adds.

Bowler’s campaign has garnered support from notable figures within the Palestinian solidarity movement and local community leaders. Endorsements from Musheir El-Farra of Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Irish MP Richard Boyd Barrett underscore the credibility and reach of her advocacy.

Her efforts are also supported by numerous former Labour Party members disillusioned with the current leadership. Bowler hopes that her campaign can contribute to a larger realignment of the left, advocating for a new political force that truly represents ordinary people and their concerns.

As the election approaches, Bowler continues her grassroots efforts, determined to bring about change whether through her bold stance on international issues or her commitment to local concerns.

“People should not have their votes taken for granted by politicians who don’t listen to them,” she asserts, hoping to inspire a new wave of political engagement and representation.

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