It wasn’t so long ago that Keir Starmer was being widely praised for keeping his party united and on message over Israel at Labour’s conference in Liverpool. But fast forward a few weeks and the Labour leader is under pressure over his stance on Israel’s right to defend itself following the terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October.
The trouble started as a result of an interview Starmer gave to LBC soon after the attacks. Speaking in Liverpool, LBC’s Nick Ferrari asked Starmer whether ‘cutting off power, cutting off water’ was appropriate as a response to the atrocity. The Labour leader replied:
‘I think that Israel does have that right…It is an ongoing situation. Obviously, everything should be done within international law.’
The clip has since gone viral and led to a backlash from his own side. Around 23 councillors have resigned over his comments. In Oxford, the party has lost its majority on the council as a result, with eight councillors quitting.
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