Two Labour council leaders have called on Sir Keir Starmer to resign over his failure to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. 

Burnley council leader Afrasiab Anwar and Pendle council leader Asjad Mahmood said Sir Keir should consider his position. 

In a statement first reported by Sky News, Mr Anwar said: “I joined the Labour Party because of the values of standing up and speaking out against injustices across the world. Sadly, Keir Starmer has not stood up for Labour values, hence why we are calling upon him to step down.”

Mr Mahmood said Sir Keir had “failed to listen” to calls for a ceasefire and therefore “we ask he consider his position and resign to allow someone to lead our party who has compassion and speaks out against injustice and indiscriminate killing of innocent human beings”. 

Sir Keir has called for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in Gaza to allow more aid into the region and to allow people to flee. 

But he has resisted calls to back a full ceasefire despite mounting pressure from senior Labour figures and dozens of backbench MPs as well as a growing revolt from Labour shadow ministers.

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