- Muslim Labour MPs have urged Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, to back a ceasefire in Gaza during discussions.
- Tensions within the party persist regarding its formal position on the situation in the Middle East with some Labour officials bracing for potential resignations.
Muslim Labour MPs called for the party’s leadership to support a ceasefire in Gaza during “robust” discussions with Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday. Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner, met with over a dozen Muslim parliamentarians in the House of Commons amid mounting tensions within the UK’s primary opposition party regarding its formal stance on the Middle East events.
One attending MP emphasized that the “central point was about the ceasefire.”
The MP noted that this issue extended beyond the Muslim community, with the general public strongly favoring a ceasefire, as indicated by a recent YouGov poll showing 76% of Britons in support and only 8% against.
During the meeting, Starmer was directly questioned about the delay in clarifying his remarks, which had suggested he believed Israel had the right to withhold power and water from Gaza. Nine days following his initial statement on LBC, Starmer attempted to back track his remarks, asserting that he intended to convey Israel’s right to self-defence, rather than endorsing a complete siege on the enclave.
23 councillors have handed in their resignation from the party in protest at Starmer’s position in the Middle East. More are threatening to leave if he does not toughen his stance on Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza strip. On Wednesday, more than 150 Muslim Labour councillors signed a letter which called on Starmer and Rayner to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Labour’s Muslim network highlighted that a Survation poll in 2022 showed that more than 76 per cent of registered Muslim voters supported the party then, making them a vital part of Labour’s electoral coalition. “That support is now at serious risk following days of anger and tension over the party’s current position on Gaza,” said the letter.
