Keir Starmer will be put to the test as MPs are getting ready to vote on a second parliamentary motion for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza next week.
The leader of the Labour party and their team will use the upcoming days to determine an approach to dealing with an SNP proposal regarding the crisis in the Middle East. This decision follows the party’s decision to abstain from a similar vote in November, which caused a significant division within the party and resulted in 10 frontbench members resigning.
The vote is expected to increase the pressure on Starmer, who is already facing criticism for his management of two Labour candidates who were caught making offensive comments about Israel.
Certain members of the Labour party have been very angry with Starmer for delaying in his call for a ceasefire. Initially, the leader of the Labour party asked for a temporary pause in order to provide humanitarian aid, but has since changed his stance to support a more lasting ceasefire. However, he has not explicitly stated that this ceasefire should be implemented immediately.
Over 28,000 Palestinians are estimated to have died during the military operations initiated by Israel in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to continue the ground offensive in Rafah, where over 1 million refugees are seeking shelter.
Last year, when the vote took place, Starmer experienced his largest rebellion as leader. A total of 56 MPs, including eight shadow ministers, voted in favor of the SNP motion, while Labour chose to abstain.
One Labour MP expressed concern that next week’s vote will resurface old wounds that were believed to have been healed.
A different high-ranking Labour MP expressed doubt that the leadership would request its MPs to refrain from voting on a ceasefire, given the significant change in their stance.
Last week, the leader of the Labour party posted on Twitter: “The fighting must come to an end. We require a lasting ceasefire.”
As he urged for an immediate halt to the conflict, it is feasible that the Labour leadership may choose not to punish those who support the SNP proposal or even vote together for an “instant” truce.
Numerous members of the opposition are currently getting ready to side with the SNP in upcoming votes. It has been reported that Alan Campbell, the Labour party’s head enforcer, recently cautioned a leftist member against voting with the SNP, which was seen as a subtle message to not rebel against the party’s stance on a second ceasefire vote.
Nevertheless, the conditions have changed since then. One party representative stated that it would be irrational to enforce strict penalties for a ceasefire vote.
The leader of SNP in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, urged both Starmer and Rishi Sunak to support an immediate ceasefire, stating that “there is no more room for indecision”.
He stated that a large number of Palestinian civilians and children, totaling over 28,000, have lost their lives and a significant portion of Gaza has been destroyed, including important buildings such as hospitals and homes belonging to families.
The UK government must take action and not ignore the situation. It is crucial for other countries to put pressure if we want a ceasefire to occur quickly. The UK has a moral responsibility to contribute.
“As Sunak and Starmer continue to hesitate, more children lose their lives. This must come to an end – and it must happen immediately.”
According to a high-ranking member of the Labour party, no definite plans have been established regarding how the vote will be enforced.
Starmer is facing increased scrutiny due to his handling of the recent suspension of two Labour candidates in the north-west, Azhar Ali and Graham Jones, for making offensive comments about Israel at a meeting in Lancashire.
Ali made statements implying that Israel was responsible for the 7 October attacks and that individuals in the media with ties to Judaism were promoting negative views of a pro-Palestinian Labour MP. Meanwhile, Jones expressed strong disapproval of Israel.
The JLM has requested that any councillors or candidates who did not speak out against the statements made by Ali and Jones be suspended if they were present at the event.
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John Healey, the opposition’s spokesperson for defense, supported the party’s actions in addressing the controversy, stating that they have taken action against inappropriate remarks.
He stated on the BBC Radio 4 program “Today” that they will base their decisions on concrete evidence that is presented or discovered. If there is proof that individuals at the meeting behaved or spoke in a manner that goes against the standards or values of the Labour party, they are encouraged to report it and the party will thoroughly investigate the matter.
However, some members of the party feel that Starmer should have taken quicker action over the weekend to suspend Ali. They are also concerned that his method of carefully considering decisions may be negatively impacting the party.
According to reports, it took the Labour leader five hours to make the decision to suspend Ali on Monday, long after being informed of a separate set of comments made by the Rochdale candidate.
One high-ranking official stated that immediate action should have been taken, as it was clearly necessary. However, the only positive aspect is that hopefully these lessons are being learned now instead of during an election campaign.
According to John Mann, a previous member of the Labour party, peer, and government consultant on antisemitism, the party does not have a widespread issue with antisemitism, but has been sluggish in addressing individual accusations.
According to him, it is important to act swiftly in cases of allegations like this. These accusations can take on a life of their own and have consequences beyond the initial issue.
Neil Kinnock, former leader of the Labour party, stated this week that Starmer’s handling of recent crises, such as reneging on the green spending promise and the remarks made by the party’s Rochdale byelection candidate, lacked “savvy”.
A recent poll by Savanta has caused concern among Labour members as it reveals a decrease in their lead from 19 to 12 points. The poll was conducted shortly after Starmer announced plans to reduce the party’s commitment to spending £28 billion per year on green investments.
One member of the Labour party expressed their disappointment regarding the numerous negative news stories in recent weeks.
Source: theguardian.com
