The heads of labor unions have cautioned Keir Starmer that his stance on Gaza may cause him to lose support from a large portion of the British population. They informed the leader of the Labour party that their members are becoming more and more upset with his decision not to demand an immediate end to the fighting in the Middle East.
During a routine meeting this week, representatives from the largest British unions advised Starmer to take a stronger stance against Israel. This comes after a period of conflict within the Labour party surrounding this topic.
Many also advised him against reversing his commitments to addressing climate change, showing that unions will attempt to have a strong impact on Labour’s policy-making as they develop their election manifesto.
“Several people at the meeting were pretty clear with Starmer,” said one person with knowledge of what happened at the meeting. “They told him, ‘Your position on Gaza is alienating working people, you are out of step with the majority’.”
The individual stated that the leader of the Labour party expressed a desire for western nations to strive towards a lasting ceasefire instead of demanding an immediate declaration.
Starmer has been facing backlash from Labour party members, councillors, and MPs due to his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict for several weeks.
In a previous interview, he seemed to imply that Israel had the authority to restrict water and electricity access to Gaza. Despite retracting his statement later on, his peers and followers are still upset that he has not shown more compassion towards the struggles of those living in Gaza.
Some people on the left are concerned about Labour’s environmental policies. Shadow ministers are discussing reducing their promise to spend £28bn annually on green initiatives if they win the election this year. Two union leaders have advised Starmer to stick to the pledge, even though he has recently referred to it as an “ambition” rather than a guarantee.
According to those who were informed about the meeting, Starmer provided reassurance that he would not do such a thing. However, his shadow cabinet is still exploring methods to reduce the impact of Conservative criticisms on the scheme, which are expected to intensify during an election period.
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A representative for Starmer did not reply to a inquiry for a statement.
Source: theguardian.com
