Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to shift his stance on the Israel-Hamas war as some of his party’s most senior politicians outside the shadow cabinet broke ranks to call for a ceasefire.
In a blow to Sir Keir’s authority, mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham as well as Anas Sarwar, Labour’s leader in Scotland, defied their leader’s position on Gaza.
Sir Keir was also hit with warnings that more than 100 Labour MPs, half his parliamentary party, back calls for an immediate cessation to the fighting. Forty nine MPs have now publicly made the call.
It came as:
- One Labour MP described the situation as a “clusterf***”, saying that voters would desert the party without a change of tack
- Labour MPs were offered security advice as they come under pressure from their constituents
- A pollster warned Labour that “divided parties don’t win elections”
- A UN aid boss said people in Gaza ‘feel stunned, alienated and abandoned’
Both Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak have backed the idea of “humanitarian pauses” in the war — as distinct from a ceasefire — to allow aid to enter Gaza.
Sir Keir has consistently argued that Israel has the right to defend itself after an attack by Hamas terrorists that left 1,400 dead.
But in a video message, Mr Khan said that thousands of innocent civilians had already been killed in Israel and Gaza. “With the humanitarian crisis set to deteriorate even further, I’m calling for a ceasefire”.
The move would “stop the killing” and “allow vital aid supplies to reach those who need it in Gaza”, he added. It is understood Mr Khan spoke to Sir Keir before he released his recording.
Mr Sarwar also called for a ceasefire in a video on social media, saying: “And let me be clear, that means a ceasefire right now.”
While 49 MPs have gone public, veteran Labour MP Clive Betts told The Independent more supported a shift in position.“There’s a majority of the parliamentary party in favour of a ceasefire,” he said and urged his party leader to “go that bit further and back (it)”.
The UK and the US have also refused to back ceasefire calls. No 10 said this week that the only ones who would benefit would be Hamas.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer met with his party’s Muslim MPs (Joe Giddens/PA)— (PA Wire)
Before the mayors made their call, senior Labour MP Rosena Allin-Khan, the former shadow minister for mental health, also put further pressure on Sir Keir to demand a ceasefire.
“Of course Israel has the right to defend itself … But what we are seeing in retaliation is collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
But those calling for a ceasefire faced a backlash amid accusations they did not understand a complex situation. Former Gordon Brown aide Ian Austin, who quit the party in 2019 over its failure to deal with antisemitism, tweeted: “Sadiq Khan can’t stop kids killing each other on the streets of London, yet thinks he can provide useful advice on the most complicated and difficult conflict in the world.”
In an apparently conciliatory response to the calls, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “Of course, we understand why people want to call for a ceasefire. The Palestinian people are not Hamas, and they are suffering terribly. That’s why we support humanitarian pauses so that aid, fuel, water electricity and medicines can urgently get to those who need it.”
But he added: “We also have to recognise Israel was subject to a vile terrorist attack. Israel has a right and a duty to defend itself, rescue the hostages and stop Hamas from being able to carry out that sort of terrorist attack ever again.” Action must be taken “within international law”, he added.
Labour frontbencher Steve Reed also defended Sir Keir’s position on Friday — insisting that doing the “right” thing was the priority rather than worrying about votes.
Asked if the row could have an impact at the ballot box, the shadow environment secretary told LBC: “I think (it) won’t because and the reason I think that is in politics, you should do the right thing, not the electorally expedient thing.”
Pollster Chris Hopkins from Savanta said the danger for Labour was “divided parties don’t win elections. But there’s little evidence at the moment to suggest Labour are more divided than the Conservatives.” “It could get worse, divisions could deepen within Labour and I’d expect the Tories to try and capitalise on it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Labour chief whip Alan Campbell has written to the party’s MPs to offer security advice. Mr Campbell said Labour MPs should take special care if attending any “protests and demonstrations” about the Gaza conflict.
Around 40 Labour MPs are believed to have signed an early day motion by Bradford East MP Imran Hussain calling for a ceasefire. Several more have publicly backed a ceasefire.
And more than 250 Muslim Labour councillors urged Sir Keir and deputy leader Angela Rayner to back an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza – with his original comments on LBC also sparking resignations from several councillors.
Up to four members of the shadow cabinet said to be on resignation watch over the issue. Sarah Owen, the shadow minister for faith, and Rachel Hopkins, shadow Cabinet Office minister, are among the frontbenchers considering whether to quit, according to The Times.
Keir Starmer visited the South Wales Islamic Centre mosque— (Labour Party)
Frontbencher Yasmin Qureshi, a shadow equalities minister, also defied the leadership by calling for a ceasefire at PMQs this week. A Labour spokesperson did not say whether she would be disciplined.
Sir Keir was forced to hold crunch talks with a group of Muslim Labour MPs to address anger at his handling of the crisis – including comments in which he appeared to back the cutting of power and water to Gaza.
It was not until 20 October that he sought to clarify his position. “I was saying that Israel has the right to self-defence,” he told broadcasters. “I was not saying that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines.”
One veteran Labour MP told The Independent that Sir Keir’s initial comments on the conflict were “not in any way acceptable”, but said he had not fully “recognised” the mistake.
The South Wales Islamic Centre also accused Sir Keir this week of “gravely misrepresenting” his talks with Muslim leaders during a visit to the mosque at the weekend.
The Labour leader sparked frustration after he shared photos of the meeting on X, arguing that he had “made clear it is not and has never been my view that Israel had the right to cut off water, food, fuel or medicines”.
