More than a quarter of Labour MPs rebel against Starmer over Gaza vote
Keir Starmer: yet ANOTHER own goal.
Keir Starmer is looking for eight new junior ministers and two Parliamentary aides after a major rebellion within the Parliamentary Labour Party against his policy on the Gaza conflict.
Shadow ministers Jess Phillips, Afzal Khan, Yasmin Qureshi, Paula Barker, Sarah Owen, Rachel Hopkins, Naz Shah and Andy Slaughter left their roles after supporting an SNP motion for a ceasefire. Starmer had submitted a motion calling for “humanitarian pauses”.
Dan Carden and Mary Foy left posts as parliamentary aides.
In all, 56 of the 198 Labour MPs voted for a ceasefire. 160 voted to support Starmer’s “humanitarian pauses”, meaning 18 supported both motions.
According to the BBC,
In a statement after the vote, Sir Keir said he regretted the vote of some of his party.
“I regret that some colleagues felt unable to support the position tonight. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand”.
He said Israel had suffered “its worst terrorist attack in a single day” at the hands of Hamas on 7 October.
“No government would allow the capability and intent to repeat such an attack to go unchallenged,” he added.
But this is nonsense when compared with what Israel has actually done – which is killing more than 11,000 civilians including 4,500 children. There is no evidence that any of Hamas’s attack capability has been damaged.
The Labour rebels have also had a lot to say, both before and after the vote. See for yourself:
I have sponsored this Amendment to the King's Speech calling for a ceasefire.
A ceasefire is the only way to stop the killing. Saving innocent civilian lives must be the priority.
Tonight in Parliament, I'll be voting for a ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/cM2ZgwVhnc
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) November 15, 2023
I have let the authorities know that I will vote for a ceasefire.
There was never any doubt.
A pause simply would legitimise a return to the slaughter of innocents.
We need ceasefire, & immediate diplomacy to defuse the situation, release hostages, and move to 2 state solution.— Jon Trickett MP (@jon_trickett) November 15, 2023
Urgent priority must be to stop the deaths and suffering of civilians in Israel and Gaza and to ensure the immediate, unconditional release of the Israeli hostages. I have supported this Amendment to the King's Speech calling for a ceasefire. Tonight I will vote for a ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/Yb0BSqsNmA
— Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) November 15, 2023
I have received a great deal of correspondence about today’s votes in the House of Commons regarding a ceasefire.
I have repeatedly called for all parties to agree to a ceasefire and confirm I will vote tonight for a ceasefire. 🧵1/3 pic.twitter.com/WZm5BpkxzA
— 💙Rachael Maskell MP (@RachaelMaskell) November 15, 2023
In my nearly 4 years as an MP, I've been contacted by more constituents about Gaza and the call for a ceasefire than any other policy issue.
I am sure the same is true for other MPs.
We should listen to our constituents – and 76% of the public – and back an immediate ceasefire.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) November 15, 2023
Tonight, I'll be voting with my conscience. I urge other MPs to do the same.
With every passing day, countless Palestinian civilians are being killed by the Israeli army.
We must join with the international community in pressing for an immediate ceasefire.
— Andy McDonald MP (@AndyMcDonaldMP) November 15, 2023
Tonight I voted for an immediate ceasefire.
You know what I don’t want to see anymore kids killed….#CeasefireNOW
— Ian Lavery MP (@IanLaveryMP) November 15, 2023
Others have also had their say:
Every person killed in Gaza has a name, a face and a story.
I voted for a ceasefire to put a stop to this endless loss of precious life.
It is a disgrace that so many MPs ignored the voices of Palestinians imploring them to do the same.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 15, 2023
Both motions were overturned – the ceasefire call by a margin of 294 votes against to 125 in favour, with the Conservatives providing the heaviest opposition. There was considerable response to these outcomes, also:
We need to launch a massive campaign during the election to target every single seat where a currently sitting MP abstained on ceasefire.
Posters, protests, and canvassing against them (not even for another candidate, just making sure the electorate knows their potential…
— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) November 15, 2023
The question that will be asked to former Labour MPs tomorrow is “Why were you sacked from the Labour Party?”, to which the answer will be “I voted for an end to the killing of innocent people, children and babies.”
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/TheMendozaWoman/status/1724870280265228435
Let’s not forget that Tory MPs voted en masse against either humanitarian pauses or a ceasefire in Gaza tonight. What do they want? More deaths of innocent people?
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) November 15, 2023
If this is indeed a 2nd nakba, & large numbers of Gazans are permanently displaced, then any Labour MP who didn’t vote for ceasefire tonight has taken a flamethrower to own credibility in long term.
Short term professional gain for, a few years from now, having name in mud.
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) November 15, 2023
When you hear the numbers of Palestinians slaughtered in Gaza, when you read the statistics, remember:
There is a name. There were hopes and dreams.
Tonight I voted for a ceasefire to help bring an end to this carnage.
I am devastated that not enough other MPs did the same.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) November 15, 2023
It will be imprinted on our minds forever how hard we had to work just to try to get politicians to act against barbarity. Voting to urge a ceasefire is the bare minimum MPs could have done. It isn’t an act of heroism, but the absolute basics of morality. Only 125 did. Sickening
— Laura Pidcock (@LauraPidcock) November 15, 2023
The following frontbenchers publicly expressed support for a ceasefire but abstained when actually given the chance to vote for it:
Kim Leadbeater
Matt Western
Navendu Mishra (member of Socialist Campaign Group)
Rushanara Ali
Seema Malhotra
Taiwo Owatemi
Tan Dhesi
Helen Hayes— Stats for Lefties 🇵🇸🏳️⚧️ (@LeftieStats) November 15, 2023
Tonight, in Parliament, I voted for an immediate ceasefire.
To our shame our political leaders failed to demonstrate the moral leadership necessary to end the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
To the thousands who contacted me from Leicester East. I vow I’ll not give up
— Claudia Webbe MP (@ClaudiaWebbe) November 15, 2023
100% of Bristol MPs refused to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza.
All 4 of them are Labour MPs.
Dear Bristolians, vote Green.
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) November 15, 2023
I never thought I could detest a politician as much as I did Thatcher but every one who either abstained or voted against a ceasefire is as hateful and heartless as her IF NOT WORSE! Whoever would have believed it possible?
— Dr NonnX 🪣 Blue Bucket (indistinct chatter) (@nayright12) November 15, 2023
I wonder how many people have been killed in Gaza since the vote – on either side of the conflict. All those deaths should hang on the consciences of the MPs who voted for the killing to continue.
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We now know the fascist tory MPs and too many labour MPs don’t care one iota about the ongoing mass murder of Palestinians being carried out by the fascist Israeli forces!
Shameful that majority of MPs put their own self interests first and still claim to represent their constitutents. Majority of people living in UK want a ceasefire and immediate diplomatic talks between Israel and Palestine but democracy doesn’t exist now instead we live in dictatorship wherein self interests supercede basic humanity!
I just hope that all the decent labour MPs dump Starmer and his nest of snakes, and form a new labout party ….