A FUNDRAISER for the Reading Labour Party has had to relocate over what the Local Democracy Reporting Service believes was due to escalating tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The event was initially meant to be held at the Pakistan Community Centre in East Reading on November 16, one day after a controversial vote in Parliament urging for politicians to support calls for a ceasefire.

However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had ordered his MPs to abstain on the motion – prompting backlash nationally.

As a result of the rising tensions, it is believed the Reading Labour Party fundraiser was relocated last-minute from the the Reading Pakistan Community Centre to the Milestone Centre in Caversham Park Village.

Reading Chronicle: The Milestone Centre, Caversham Park Village. Credit: Google MapsThe Milestone Centre, Caversham Park Village. Credit: Google Maps

Mian Saleem, the chairman of the Reading Pakistan Community Centre confirmed that the initial booking in the centre was cancelled.

Mr Saleem said: “It’s a very big humanitarian issue. Lots of people are upset, Labour Party voters are upset and that was the reason it was moved.

“We had a booking, if someone is booked you cannot cancel it. They [Reading Labour] took their own choice, we did not cancel it.

“Booking is available to anybody, we do not pick and choose. It’s a public place, anyone can hire it.

“Because of the humanitarian issue of people being killed in the conflict, people are upset. That was one of the reasons they chose to change venue.”

Since the controversial vote, politicians have been criticised for not supporting the call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, with tensions continuing to escalate since the Hamas attacks on October 7, and the Israeli Defence Forces retaliating with an invasion of Gaza.

READ MORE: Reading MPs abstain from vote on call for ceasefire in Israel-Palestine conflict

Both Reading Labour MP for Reading East Matt Rodda and Sir Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP for Reading West abstained in the vote.

A photo shared by councillor Mark Keeping (Labour, Kentwood) on X/Twitter shows him with Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley.

Mrs Phillips was one of 56 Labour MPs who voted for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict in a vote on Wednesday, November 15, and subsequently lost her position as shadow minister for domestic abuse and safeguarding.

While the LDRS did receive a reply from the Labour Party on the fundraiser, it has chosen not to publicly comment on any further details.