Overnight, Keir Starmer suffered his first shadow minister resignation over his position on Gaza. Imran Hussain has quit as shadow minister for the New Deal for Working People over his desire to ‘strongly advocate for a ceasefire’ in Gaza.
While Hussain used a statement to insist that he remains committed to Labour’s agenda more generally, he said that his view on what is currently happening in Gaza differs ‘substantially’ from the Labour leader’s position. He wants to now be a ‘strong advocate’ for calling for a ceasefire: ‘It is clear that I cannot sufficiently, in all good conscience, do this from the front bench given its current position’.
Labour MPs with large Muslim communities in their constituencies are feeling the greatest pressure
While over a third of Labour MPs have publicly voiced support for a ceasefire, Starmer has argued this would be the wrong move at this moment in time. Instead he has called for a ‘humanitarian pause’ to allow aid into Gaza.
It’s now the case that 17 of Starmer’s frontbenchers have put out statements or made comments publicly that appear to stray from the leadership line. No one has been disciplined for going against the line yet (one Labour MP has been suspended after referencing the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’). However, shadow ministers have had it suggested to them that signing further motions calling for a ceasefire is not compatible with staying in their roles.
The question now is will other Labour frontbenchers follow suit? It is the Labour MPs with large Muslim communities in their constituencies who tend to be feeling the greatest pressure on the issue.
Next week, the issue could come to a head in the House of Commons. Labour MPs on the left of the party have tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for a ceasefire. If selected, it would force a vote on the Commons floor on the issue.
While the vote would not pass – given the Tories would not back it, and neither would the Labour leadership – it would show the Labour divide and mean MPs were under pressure to take a stand.
Of course, were Starmer to call for a ceasefire it is unlikely to make much difference at all to what Israel does: Starmer is not in power and it is America that wields the greatest influence. But the resistance Starmer is facing from his own party means that the row over the ceasefire raises legitimate questions about how a Labour government would function.
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