Labour delayed proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation following fears it would cause riots and upset the Muslim community, it has been alleged.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was told the group had passed the threshold for proscription on March 13, but delayed banning them until June after two activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two Voyager aircraft with red paint, the Telegraph claimed.

It is understood Labour feared riots like those seen last summer following the Southport attacks.

The delay in proscribing coincided with local election campaigning, sparking accusations that Labour wanted to delay the decision to shore up the Muslim vote.

Palestine Action has been behind 19 attacks since March

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told The Telegraph: "There are legitimate concerns that Labour delayed implementing this measure because they were worried about losing votes from the Muslim community ahead of May's local elections.

"Labour needs to urgently come clean about the reasons for the delay in implementation."

Palestine Action has been behind 19 attacks since March.

The Home Secretary announced the plan to proscribe the group last month, with the group having a last-ditch bid to stop the move dismissed by the High Court on Friday night.

Palestine Action said: "The Home Secretary was advised as early as March 13, 2025, that the statutory tests for proscription were met, yet the decision to proscribe was announced over three months later, on June 23, 2025."

The news follows suspended Labour MP Zarah Sultana's departure from the party to "co-lead new hard-left party with Jeremy Corbyn".

Her departure comes after announcing profound support for Palestine Action, shouting the name of the group in the Commons before the vote to proscribe the group.

In her resignation letter, Sultana said: "Westminster is broken... poverty is growing, inequality is obscene, and the two-party system offers nothing but managed decline and broken promises."

Zarah Sultana will be co-leading a new party with Corbyn

Her letter continued: "A year ago, I was suspended by the Labour Party for voting to abolish the two-child benefit cap and lift 400,000 children out of poverty. I'd do it again. I voted against scrapping Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners. I'd do it again.

"Now, the Government wants to make disabled people suffer; they just can't decide how much. Meanwhile, a billionaire-backed grifter (Farage) is leading the polls because Labour has completely failed to improve people's lives.

"And across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists."

GB News has approached the Home Office for comment.