The conflict between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip are causing a minor crisis in the UK’s largest political opposition, Labour.
On Wednesday night, 56 party MPs defied voting discipline imposed by Keir Starmer’s leadership and voted in favor of a motion by the Scottish National Party (SNP) calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The Scottish Nationalists’ motion failed, with 293 votes against and 125 in favor, as the Conservative Party, in government, has a majority in the House of Commons.
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) November 15, 2023
Despite a growing number of Labor members and politicians unhappy with the Labor leadership’s official stance on the conflict, Starmer says he is not yet ready to defend a ceasefire, arguing the hypothesis would freeze the conflict and strengthen Hamas. .
Therefore, the party leader demanded that delegates abstain from the SNP motion and tried to compensate by introducing another motion that criticized Israeli military actions. He also threatened to fire everyone Frontrunners A person who does not follow the discipline of voting.
you Frontrunners These are the MPs who sit on the front row of the opposition benches in the Lower House of Parliament at Westminster and are part of Starmer’s “shadow government”, whose job it is to scrutinize and challenge current government ministers.
Before the vote, some of these representatives walked out on their own; Also, after the vote, ten other supporters of the SNP motion were dismissed.
“Along with leaders from around the world, I have called for humanitarian aid, food, water, services and medicine to be allowed into the pauses, in accordance with international law, and I have expressed our concerns about increasing civilian casualties,” he recalled. Starmer, in a statement issued after the “rebellion”.
“I am sorry that some colleagues could not support this position tonight”, he lamented. “Leadership is about doing the right thing. It deserves less population. It is too short for leadership. “
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