Keir Starmer is losing grip on his party’s position on Israel. So far, over 25 Labour councillors have quit over Starmer’s comments on the conflict following the attack by Hamas on 7 October. The Labour leader angered his party when he suggested in an interview with LBC that Israel ‘has the right’ to withhold power and water from Gaza. Starmer has since tried to clarify his comments by meeting with Muslim Labour MPs and calling for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in Gaza to get aid in. However, many in his party want him to go further and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Nearly a quarter of Labour MPs have publicly called for a halt in fighting in Gaza, while 250 Muslim Labour councillors have urged him to do so. Sadiq Khan has become the most senior Labour politician to call for a ceasefire. In a statement on social media, the Mayor of London said:
‘Thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed in Israel and Gaza.
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