Keir’s top team in quit threat over ceasefire
LABOUR frontbenchers are prepared to resign en masse or face being sacked in order to vote for an SNP amendment today calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Shadow ministers are not prepared to support a separate amendment tabled by Sir Keir Starmer that condemns Israel’s conduct in the war but stops short of backing a ceasefire.
Labour leaders were last night meeting more than a dozen frontbenchers who have called for a cessation of hostilities in the besieged territory, where more than 11,000 people have been killed in the IDF onslaught.
But many are still prepared to put their roles at risk by siding with the SNP, which has lodged a Commons amendment calling on the UK to join the international community in pressing for an immediate ceasefire.
Labour has gone only so far as to back ‘immediate humanitarian pauses’ to let aid in.
Last week levelling up spokesman Imran Hussain resigned so he could ‘strongly advocate for a ceasefire’ from the backbenches.
Other frontbenchers have so far chosen to stay in their posts and try to shift the leadership from within. A Labour spokesman said the party’s amendment reflects concerns about ‘the lack of hostage release, the insufficient amount of aid and utilities getting in and being distributed, the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza and ... violence in the West Bank’.
A party source said: ‘Mass resignations or sackings could well happen. It makes frontbenchers look silly if they’ve been calling for a ceasefire all this time then don’t support the motion.’
Another insider added shadow ministers either ‘want a free vote or for the party to turn round and back a ceasefire’.