Gaza row shows why SNP MPs’ voices matter

And that is why having SNP MPs in Westminster matters so much.

After months of indifference we finally forced Westminster to face up to the slaughter of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Did it go the way I initially thought it would? Well not quite. But did we achieve some positive change? You bet.

With 30,000 civilians dead, 70,000 injured, 1.5million sheltering in Rafah awaiting Israeli bombs, 300,000 living in northern Gaza in what’s regarded as feral conditions and with 100 hostages still under Hamas’s control – it’s been clear for so long that we can’t just sit silent and hope things will improve.

In the face of the deafening silence from both Labour and Tories there has been public outcry. The efforts of peaceful campaigners, combined with our parliamentary pressure, has managed to shift at least one of their positions.

The Labour Party has been dragged to a position, albeit still a bit mealy mouthed, where it backs an immediate ceasefire. With Sir Keir Starmer likely to become the next UK PM, that is good news. But two things are still troubling.

First, the Labour leader continues to argue the Palestinian people have not been the victims of “collective punishment” for the actions of Hamas. To argue Israel’s decision to turn off water and electricity, prevent access to food and medicines, to damage or destroy 60 per cent of buildings in Gaza or indiscriminately shoot and bomb civilians isn’t “collective punishment” is wrong.

Indeed, the Labour Party continues to argue it will not support any position on Gaza that includes those two words. How cowardly.

And what marks the actions of a coward more than strong-arming a likeable and respected Speaker of the House of Commons into letting you have your way? Because that’s what Sir Keir Starmer did when he forced the Speaker to break the rules of Parliament the other week. Some might call it ruthless, others bullying. I’ll leave you to decide.

But Labour declaring Sir Keir was going to “fix” the Speaker is deeply troubling. And let’s all remember that the only leverage they actually have over him is to tell the Speaker that he’ll lose his job once they are in charge. The irony being that now, of course, he should lose his job for caving to Labour pressure. As the protector of democracy in the House of Commons, he can never be swayed by others. The observant among you will wonder why the Labour Party didn’t secure a vote in Parliament before. After all, it has had eight opportunities to do so since November and it would have avoided all the chaos.

It probably has something to do with the fact Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t even uttered the word “Gaza” at Prime Minister’s Questions since November 22. I might just leave you to decide on that one too.

Now the pressure must turn back on to the Tories. It’s their UK Government that continues to sell arms to the Israeli government. It’s their UK Government that continues to abstain at the United Nations when it should vote for an immediate ceasefire.

On those issues we need to see their position change and the SNP will continue to be the driving force to make that happen, because it’s the right thing to do.

I don’t think Sir Keir agrees. But, thankfully, SNP MPs can be a voice for the voiceless without worrying what Westminster politicians think.