Labour MPs need to resign over Starmer’s disgusting position on Gaza
Labour leader Keir Starmer has reiterated his refusal to back a ceasefire in Israel’s ongoing onslaught against Palestinian people in both Gaza and the Occupied Territories. So far, Labour MPs with a shred of humanity have voiced their opposition to him – but have not resigned. So, is it time for politicians to start stepping down?
Starmer’s speech sums Labour up
On 31 October, Starmer gave a speech about Israel’s assault on Gaza and the Occupied Territories at Chatham House – home to think tank the Royal Institute of International Affairs:
Keir Starmer has given a speech at Chatham House stating his opposition to a ceasefire of Israel's war on Gaza.
Chatham House is funded by the UK Foreign Office, US State Department, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, NATO, Israel lobbyist Trevor Chinn and the Israeli Embassy. pic.twitter.com/rKNNDd3N8G
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) October 31, 2023
Before the Labour leader had even arrived, people were outside protesting his stance on Israel:
People are chanting
“Palestinians are human too
Keir Starmer shame on you” pic.twitter.com/jehr5kVKxu— Tom London (@TomLondon6) October 31, 2023
Now, outside Keir Starmer’s speech: Jewish protestors calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/zBMGWxnmJr
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) October 31, 2023
During his speech, Starmer said that:
While I understand calls for a ceasefire, at this stage I do not believe that is the correct position now.
Hamas would be emboldened and start preparing for future violence immediately.
The Labour leader said that asking Israel for a “humanitarian pause” to let aid into Gaza was:
the only credible approach that has any chance of achieving what we all want to see in Gaza – the urgent alleviation of Palestinian suffering.
Starmer also refused to say whether he thought Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza. This was after he previously endorsed Israel cutting off power and water to the territory, and then backtracked – claiming he hadn’t meant that when he blatantly had.
Labour: a ‘vote for genocide’
Predictably, Starmer’s comments caused uproar on social media. Meanwhile, in person, Starmer was booed and called a “war criminal” as he left Chatham House:
As @Keir_Starmer left Chatham House earlier today he met with boos and was called a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/EhoW7MD7oY
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) October 31, 2023
As academic Philip Proudfoot highlighted, it’s high time Labour MPs started quitting the party:
Keir Starmer is now standing in front of camera and claiming “a ceasefire is not the correct position” — just disgusting beyond words.
If you are a Labour MP, and you do not resign over your leader green lighting of genocidal violence, how can you live with yourself? How!?
— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) October 31, 2023
Timid Labour MPs need to resign now
So far, some Labour MPs have voiced their opposition to Starmer and the party’s position – and stated their support for a ceasefire. As BBC News reported:
As the Labour leader was defending his position, both Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and London Mayor Sadiq Khan reiterated their calls for a ceasefire.
Mr Sarwar also said past comments made by Sir Keir had caused hurt to Muslims and “any peace loving citizen”.
Speaking to BBC London, Mr Khan didn’t directly criticised his party’s leader but said: “I believe in a de-escalation of the violence not escalation, that’s why I’m calling for a ceasefire.”
Recent YouGov polling shows 76% of people support a ceasefire. Over 60 Labour MPs, including 15 frontbenchers, have called for a ceasefire, too. Moreover, with the party suspending Labour MP Andy McDonald by willfully misrepresenting his comments at a rally, other politicians should be rallying in solidarity with him.
So far, though, timidity appears to the the order of the day. With Labour now a husk of its former self, and little more than an imitation of the Conservative Party, left-wing Labour MPs should have abandoned the party a long time ago, anyway. Now, with Israel having killed thousands of Palestinian children and no end to its bombardment in sight, if these politicians continue to put their own careers before humanity, then they’re as bad as Starmer is.
Featured image via PoliticsJOE – YouTube
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To make a major policy speech at Chatham House tells you immediately whose side Starmer is on.
It’s not ours and it’s not the side of the oppressed Palestinians.
Labour MPs resign !!! … And give up those safe seats, with safe salaries, and, safe pensions.
I admire your optimism.
Not to mention the perks ….
How many of them are members of Labour Friends of Israel ?
Follow the money.
The Labour party is not “a husk of its former self”. This is traditional, old-school Labourism in full effect. Clearly, Mr Topple has forgotten the myriad occasions in which Labour in opposition and in power took the side of the ruling class, the corporate class, the weapons corporations. For example:
“On 27 March 1969, Prime Minister Harold Wilson lied in a press interview, to cover up the huge scale of British arms exports to the Federal Military Government (FMG) of Nigeria, which was waging a war of genocide against the secessionist state of Biafra causing over two million deaths from famine. The preceding year, Chief Allison Ayida, the leader of the FMG delegation at peace talks, had asserted that ‘starvation is a legitimate weapon of war and we have every intention of using it against the rebels.’”
Those Labour MPs who have not yet been expelled for expressing vaguely left-wing opinions will not have any interest in destroying their careers by opposing a genocide.
https://roguenation.org/harold-wilson-lies-to-cover-up-british-complicity-in-biafran-war-crimes/
Sadly true. The Pacifist Impulse is not by Party, or political ideology, but individual. There are pacifist conservatives as much as pacifist liberal and leftists – and warpigs across the spectrum too. The PLP has often been on entirely the wrong side. We were blessed by J Corbyn who embodied all the *supposed* virtues of the PLP, and now perhaps it is reverting to form. And with a dash further, with the current psychopathic ‘Leadership Team’. Identical in both “main” Uniparty arsecheeks.
To not even CALL for a ceasefire, even knowing the genocidal Israelis will ignore it anyway, is the basest craveness – and a good indicator of what to expect from the PLP in Govt (Aka, “Regime-control”.
There is something we all need to bear in mind – everyone, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US – is now fully aware that this Apartheid Corporate State called Israel had planned to ethnically-cleanse Gaza and the West Bank, and is currently in the process of implementing this. These inhuman swine (pigs) who are blocking even calls for ceasefires are not only informed of this, they are SUPPORTING it.
If this was the 1930s, then this time around it is the semitic Palestinians who are the Jews. And it is as clear as day who genuinely believes in “Never Again”.
Not many MPs, of any party. Disgusting.
I wonder how long before ‘they’ come for the Canary? Perhaps you should consider relocating to China or Iran to enjoy greater Press freedom? He gets everything right except the vacuous left-right error: https://darkfutura.substack.com/p/censorship-clampdowns-redux-eu-dsa
Puerile, pathetic, posturing
Starmer was correct at the party conference
Labour need to be a party of power not a party of protest. These comments show the clear difference between student politics and real world politics.
If Labour MPs did resign how would that play with their constituents ? Have you any idea how difficult it is to get elected? Have you actually stood for election? The only people who would benefit are the Tories, whom I suspect many of the commentators secretly support
“Real World Politics”, where thousands are killed to please the Israeli lobby, and where the poor get shafted in the UK? It is time for a new political party.
Realpolitik is rarely realistic. In this case, it’s about pleasing the business class instead of voters – which is surely the opposite of a democratic political party. We need a radical, socialist transformation of the UK, not your acceptance of how things are. Moderate liberals’ advocacy for the status quo is one reason so many of the working class – i.e. the British public – have left Labour and turned to whoever happens to offer what seems to be a (false and dangerous) solution, and that is sadly the far right at the moment. What good is a party in power that changes nothing? That is the Labour way, and only occasionally has it been any different.
Puerile, pathetic, posturising? Do you have anything beyond alliteration? Pot. Kettle. Black. As the famous meme has it: “I don’t support Labour because they are different from the Tories. I don’t support Labour because they are the same as the Tories.”
The only people who (less than secretly) support the Tories are blind Labour loyalists who seek power for power’s sake and don’t wish to see any change whatsoever in the status quo.
@robertjmorgan : “Starmer was correct at the party conference”
How about the 2021 party conference, when a motion, voted through by delegates to the conference, committed the Labour party to implementing sanctions against Israel, including ceasing UK-Israel arms trade and boycotting trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
Delegates also welcomed the International Criminal Court’s decision to hold an inquiry into abuses committed by Israel. The motion cited reports by renowned human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem, which concluded that through its systematic oppression of the Palestinian people, Israel was practising the crime of apartheid as defined by the UN.
As the Muslim Association of Britain commented at the time : “This is a landmark moment in British politics and reflects a global shift in attitudes towards Israel, as the world finally wakes up to the reality of Israel’s brutal occupation.
“We call on the Labour Party leadership to respect this motion, and to work with Labour Party members and affiliates to implement its calls to action throughout its work and policies. We also call on other UK parties to stand on the right side of history through supporting the rights of the Palestinian people.”
That was what Labour delegates supported just 2 years ago. Starmer is obviously too blind, or too autocratic, to even notice the groundswell of opinion in his own party, let alone the wider world.
“Shaking off the fleas” and “Real world politics” when you really mean supporting a racist genocide. There’s no point in achieving power when you have no different policies.