Division within the British Conservative Party has been so common since Brexit that it no longer surprises many people in Westminster. On the other hand, fractures within Labour, the main opposition party, had been rare since Keir Starmer took control of the British left at the beginning of 2020, after the chaotic Corbyn years. But on Wednesday, November 15, they reappeared in full public view, after 56 Labour MPs (out of a total of 198 in the House of Commons) defied party policy by voting to call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, whereas Starmer only calls for "humanitarian pauses."
The rebel Labour MPs – who like the rest of the House of Commons were due to vote on an amendment calling for a ceasefire introduced by the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) – included eight members of Starmer's shadow cabinet. They were forced to resign their posts immediately for having gone beyond the authority of their leader, even though the SNP amendment was not adopted (due to a lack of support from the Tories). They are therefore giving up a likely ministerial career, as Labour has a good chance of coming out on top in the 2024 general election.
Known for her long fight against domestic violence, Jess Phillips is one of the most prominent Labour MPs to have given up her responsibilities. "On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head and my heart," said the MP for Birmingham, the capital of the West Midlands (a city with a large Muslim population). "I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region [in the Middle East]," added Phillips.
"On 7 October, Israel suffered its worst terrorist attack in a single day at the hands of Hamas. No government would allow the capability and intent to repeat such an attack to go unchallenged. Since then, we have also seen an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza. At every stage during this crisis, my approach has been driven by the need to respond to both these tragedies," explained Starmer, expressing regret at the choice made by the dissenting MPs and attempting to justify his own. The leader of the opposition believes that a ceasefire would freeze the conflict between Israel and Hamas and allow the terrorist group to rebuild its forces.
The mood at Westminster was tense on Wednesday, as the day was marked by an Israeli army raid on Gaza's main hospital, Al-Shifa, where hundreds of refugees and sick people were still crammed in. Conservative lawmakers voted against the SNP amendment, supporting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's option of humanitarian pauses, as did Starmer. But others, like Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, called for a ceasefire. "The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is horrifying. To prevent a catastrophe, it is essential that food, water and medicine can reach the people who need them – most of whom are women and children. It is also vital that the hostages are unconditionally released," he posted on X.
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