Keir Starmer has tried to get back on the front foot today over his party’s position on Israel and Palestine. Following growing discontent in Labour over Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire, the party’s leader used an impromptu speech at Chatham House to insist that he would not bow to demands to change his mind.
Despite more than a fifth of his MPs calling for one, Starmer argued that ‘a ceasefire now is not the right way forward’ as it would stop Israel from dismantling Hamas and could embolden the terrorist group. Starmer said a ceasefire would ‘freeze’ the situation as it is – which would be a bad outcome as it could allow Hamas to continue what it is doing now which ‘cannot be the right answer’:
Starmer argued that the Labour party is united in its concern and care for those impacted by the conflict
While I understand calls for a ceasefire, at this stage I do not believe that is the correct position now, for two reasons.
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