UK Labour Party loses big in Gaza's humanitarian pause vs ceasefire bout as MPs quit front bench

UK opposition politician and Labour party leader Keir Starmer faced a setback in the House of Commons after prominent Labour leaders resigned from his frontbench on Wednesday night (Nov 15) over his refusal to back a ceasefire in Gaza.

A vote calling for the ceasefire in Gaza was defeated with 293 votes against 168. But soon after the vote, eight of Starmer's frontbenchers resigned from the frontbench after supporting the vote in favour of the ceasefire.

According to reports in the British media, the Labour MPs were ordered to abstain on the vote and were told instead to back Starmer’s position calling for longer "humanitarian pauses", a call later on Nov 15 made in a UN Security Council resolution as well — rather than a ceasefire. The vote was initiated by the Scottish National Party.

But all the Labour MPs did not abstain. A total of 56 Labour MPs voted for the ceasefire going against the whip issued.

Who all quit their frontbench roles?

Phillips, Afzal Khan, Yasmin Qureshi and Paula Barker quit their frontbench roles on Wednesday night after voting for the amendment and defying the whip.

Mary Foy, Angela Rayner’s parliamentary private secretary (PPS), and Dan Carden, another PPS, have also left the frontbench.

Rachel Hopkins, Sarah Owen, Naz Shah, and Andy Slaughter were sacked by the Labour leader after the vote.

As votes closed, Starmer said he regretted that party colleagues had not backed his position.

"Alongside leaders around the world, I have called throughout for adherence to international law, for humanitarian pauses to allow access for aid, food, water, utilities and medicine, and have expressed our concerns at the scale of civilian casualties."

He added: "Leadership is about doing the right thing. That is the least the public deserves. And the least that leadership demands."

Also watch |UN general assembly adopts resolution calling for 'humanitarian truce' in Gaza

The initial calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza raised in the immediate aftermath of Israel's retaliatory action after the attack by Hamas on October 7 have now been replaced by the steps to ensure "humanitarian pauses".

That is, the fighting in Gaza is now routinely stopped at unannounced schedules to ensure the passage of food, fuel and medicines to the civilian population living in the line of fire in one of the world's most densely populated regions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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