The Labour party is attempting to resolve a new conflict surrounding Keir Starmer’s careful approach towards Gaza by altering a motion put forth by the Scottish National party that demands an immediate end to hostilities.
The Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, is backing the SNP’s motion to be discussed in the Commons on Wednesday. The motion aims to confront Starmer by demanding an immediate halt to the violence.
The Labour party is determined to prevent a recurrence of the significant rebellion that occurred last November when MPs opposed Starmer’s position. This resulted in 56 Labour MPs supporting a motion by the SNP and three shadow spokespeople resigning.
To increase pressure on Starmer, SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, released an open letter to Labour backbenchers asking them to support their new motion.
According to Flynn’s letter, the UK has been employing a strategy of hesitation for over four months, with the backing of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. However, the negative impact of this approach has become evident and it is now time to stop hesitating.
He released it as Scottish Labour’s leader, Anas Sarwar, who has previously been highly critical of Starmer’s early caution, endorsed a motion at the party’s annual conference in Glasgow on Saturday that explicitly called for an immediate ceasefire on both sides.
On Friday, Sarwar addressed delegates and expressed his belief that the conflict must come to an end. He stated that this would require an immediate ceasefire and a halt to all rocket attacks into and out of Gaza.
This refers to the prompt release of captives, quick provision of humanitarian assistance, and most importantly, prompt actions by global leaders to create a plan for lasting peace and a two-state resolution.
Starmer has consistently refrained from using the term “immediate” and has instead advocated for a “lasting” ceasefire, possibly to prevent the potential failure of Hamas and its Islamist supporters in Gaza to comply with it, which could make Labour seem inexperienced.
However, he has moved closer to Sarwar’s stance in recent times. During an interview with Sky at the Munich security conference on Saturday, Starmer acknowledged that his team was examining the SNP proposal to determine the possibility of reaching an agreement.
“We will need to carefully examine the exact phrasing. However, it is evident that we all desire a ceasefire. The key question is, how can we achieve it?”
With pro-Palestinian campaigners protesting outside the conference venue, Sarwar told reporters in Glasgow there was little difference between Labour and the SNP, or between him and Starmer, over the need for an urgent end to the violence. He said Labour whips and Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary, wanted talks with Flynn in an effort to draft a motion Labour could endorse.
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Sarwar stated that the motion appeared to be quite satisfactory. He suggested that if the UK parliament could come together and send a united message, they should seize the opportunity. He also expressed hope that people would approach the matter with sincerity in order to reach a common stance.
Ultimately, this holds greater significance than two opposing political parties engaging in conflict. What truly matters are the individuals residing in Israel and Palestine, who are facing fear for their safety.
Yousaf stated that it is up to the Labour party to clearly state their stance on Gaza. He also mentioned that the true test will be when the SNP proposes a vote for a ceasefire in the House of Commons and UK Labour must decide how to respond.
During the conference, a Scottish Labour councillor received applause from delegates for stating that the party “required” the support of Scottish Labour’s two MPs for the ceasefire motion next week.
Pauline McNeill, a supporter of Sarwar and the spokesperson for justice at Holyrood, expressed that advocating for an independent Palestinian state is a pressing moral issue. She believes that Labour should not only endorse the two-state solution, but also actively strive for its realization.
Source: theguardian.com
