Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the British Labour Party, was faced with a party rebellion when more than 50 of his party’s MPs voted for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, against the official policy of the party.
Some members of his shadow cabinet also stood down over Starmer’s and the party’s official stance on the war between Israel and Hamas.
The motion was put forward by the Scottish National Party (SNP), with 56 of Labour’s 198 MPs supporting it.
Starmer’s support of Israel has caused tensions within his party, with a number of local councillors already resigning from the party over his stance.
In a statement after the vote, Starmer remained resolute in his support for Israel’s retaliation for Hamas’s attack on the country last month, saying: ‘No government would allow the capability and intent to repeat such an attack to go unchallenged.’
This rebellion in the party could be a blow to Labour. The party has a significant lead over the governing Tories in the polls, but this could be a setback to Labour’s hopes of getting back into power after more than a decade in opposition.
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