Is Starmer changing his mind on Gaza?

Labour has significantly shifted its language on Israel’s conflict with Hamas over the past 24 hours. But has it changed its position?

Yesterday Keir Starmer gave a speech to Scottish Labour conference in which he called for ‘a ceasefire that lasts’, adding: ‘That is what must happen now. The fighting must stop now.’ His aides have clarified that this is not a call for a ceasefire now, but a sustainable one, which means Hamas stopping its attacks on Israel and releasing hostages. But this morning, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Times Radio that ‘objectively, Israel has gone too far’ and that ‘what we have seen are actions that go beyond reasonable self-defence’. 

The government has also shifted in its language over recent weeks, with Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron becoming much more comfortable in criticising and challenging Israel. In private, both reassure concerned pro-Israel Conservative MPs that they are still as committed to supporting Israel, and that they are merely shifting semantics.