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On 26 June, Kim Leadbeater was heckled and chased by a group of men while campaigning, after being questioned about her support for LGBT rights and her party's position on [[Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Jo Cox's sister, Labour candidate Kim Leadbeater, heckled and chased on campaign trail |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kim-leadbeater-b1873065.html |access-date=26 June 2021 |work=The Independent}}</ref> The man who challenged her claimed to be speaking on behalf of Muslim parents in the region and had led protests against LGBT-inclusive teaching at schools in [[Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diver |first1=Tony |title=Labour candidate in Batley and Spen by-election left 'intimidated' by anti-LGBT protester |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/06/25/labour-candidate-batley-spen-by-election-left-intimidated-anti/ |access-date=27 June 2021 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=25 June 2021}}</ref> During an interview following the incident, Leadbeater accused Galloway of laughing at the situation from across the street. Galloway called the accusation "a lie" and condemned the abuse Leadbeater faced.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, chased and heckled on Batley and Spen by-election campaign trail |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/jo-cox-sister-batley-and-spen-kim-leadbeater-keir-starmer-chased-heckled-gay-partner-anti-lbgt-1072740 |access-date=26 June 2021 |work=i}}</ref> On 27 June, Brabin and another group of Labour campaigners were also attacked.<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 June 2021|title=Batley and Spen by-election: Labour 'egged and kicked'|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-57636903|url-status=live|access-date=29 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628132103/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-57636903|archive-date=28 June 2021}}</ref>
On 28 June, the Labour Party were critcised for distributing a leaflet featuring a photo of Boris Johnson with Indian prime minister [[Narendra Modi]]. Critics complained the leaflets were designed to appeal to Muslim voters and to exploit divisions between voters originating from India and Pakistan over the [[Kashmir conflict]]. Labour Friends of India asked the Labour Party to withdraw the leaflet immediately. A Labour spokesman said the leaflet emphasised not voting for the Labour candidate "would lead to a Tory MP who would support a Prime Minister who insults Muslim women and calls it a joke, refuses to deal with Islamophobia in his party and fails to speak out on human rights abuses in Kashmir".<ref name=telegraph-20210628>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/06/28/labour-accused-stoking-racial-divisions-batley-spen-by-election/ |title=Labour accused of stoking racial divisions with Batley and Spen by-election leaflet |last=Diver |first=Tony |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url-access=limited |date=28 June 2021 |access-date=28 June 2021}}</ref><ref name=inews-20210628>{{cite news |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/labour-accused-identity-politics-batley-and-spen-by-election-campaign-dirty-tricks-claims-1076139 |title=Labour accused of 'identity politics' as Batley and Spen by-election campaign blighted by dirty-tricks claims |last=Morris |first=Nigel |website=i News |date=28 June 2021 |access-date=28 June 2021}}</ref>
In response, Labour MP [[Navendu Mishra]] accused his party of having a "hierachy of racism", with "some groups seen as fair game for attacks based on religion/race/heritage".<ref>https://twitter.com/NavPMishra/status/1409507363556560899</ref><ref>https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/stockport-mp-accuses-his-own-party-of-dog-whistle-racism-over-by-election-leaflet/</ref><ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/29/labour-party-has-displayed-utter-contempt-british-indian-voters/</ref>
==Opinion poll==
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