Labour rebels trying to secure divisive Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire ‘by hook or by crook’
Left-wing Labour MPs are looking to secure a vote on a ceasefire “by hook or by crook” in the coming weeks, Sky News has been told.
Sir Keir Starmer‘s party has been split by tensions on the Middle East conflict, with more than a dozen frontbenchers defying the leadership’s stance on the conflict.
But the pressure is set to ratchet up further on the Labour leader from next week, with some in his own party determined to secure a vote which could lead to further divisions.
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A figure on the left of the party said: “We are looking to secure debates and votes on this, by hook or by crook. We are looking at all potential routes, no stone will be unturned.”
One option is to use an opposition day debate from the Scottish National Party – which backs a ceasefire – which could generate a non-binding vote. Although, Labour could tell its MPs to abstain or refuse to take part.
The SNP see an emergency debate was the most likely avenue, and they could apply to the Speaker for one as early as next Wednesday.
An SNP source said: “Our constituents will be expecting us to have a say and if the government won’t bring forward a vote we will try and do so as soon as the first two days of the King’s Speech debate have ended.”
Another is to use a tactic deployed by Labour and Conservative rebels during Brexit, by triggering an emergency debate, under rules called Standing Order 24. It would have to be allowed by the Speaker.
Nearly 100 MPs from all parties have signed a motion from Labour MP Richard Burgon, which condemns the massacre of Israelis and taking of hostages in the 7 October attacks but also calls for “an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities”.
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Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson defends Labour’s stance on Middle East
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The MPs pushing for a vote will consult House of Commons experts next week and think it is most likely to take place later in November, as the start of the month will be dominated by the King’s Speech.
Starmer set out in a speech focused on the Middle East this week that he does not support a ceasefire, which he says would mean “Hamas would be emboldened and start preparing for future violence immediately”.
But so far 16 Labour shadow ministers and aides have tweeted their support for a one, including Jess Phillips, Naz Shah and Imran Hussain – who represent the party on home affairs and business. None of them have been disciplined by the party.
Today, answering questions after a speech in County Durham, Starmer rejected the idea of “great division” within Labour, saying the party was united on wanting to alleviate suffering and get more humanitarian aid in.
Some Labour councillors have resigned their posts, and two council leaders, in Burnley and Pendle, today issued a call for Starmer to resign.
A Labour source said the party would respond to a vote “depending on what the proposition is, which party is behind it and what form it takes.” They added that the rebels or other parties may not secure one, and that “the situation on the ground is not fixed”.
The government, the Labour leadership and other Western allies including the US have called for a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid into Gaza but said Israel has a right to defend itself by attacking Hamas.
Read more: Which countries are calling for a ceasefire?
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The Conservative MP for Peterborough, Paul Bristow, was told to resign as a parliamentary aide to a cabinet minister after he called for a ceasefire to “save lives”.
Health minister Maria Caulfield said today: “The trouble I think Sir Keir has is that while he seems to agree with the government, the rest of his party are in complete turmoil on this. At times like this, when it’s such a sensitive issue in the Middle East, you actually do need a governing party that is united.”
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Nigel Farage has spoken about his aspirations as Reform UK party leader and insists he could become prime minister.
He told Sky’s political correspondent Darren McCaffrey the prospect of taking over at Number 10 at some point “may not be probable, but it’s certainly possible”.
In an interview on the sidelines of the Reform UK annual conference in Birmingham, he also described his intention to change the party and make it more democratic.
“I don’t want it to be a one man party. Look, this is not a presidential system. If it was, I might think differently about it. But no, it’s not. We have to be far more broadly based,” he said.
He also accepted there were issues with how the party was perceived by some during the general election.
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Highlights of Farage’s conference speech
“We had a problem,” he admitted. “Those that wished us harm use the racist word. And we had candidates who genuinely were.”
Earlier the party leader and Clacton MP gave his keynote speech at the conference, explaining how they intend to win even more seats at the next general election.
He also called out the prime minister for accepting free gifts and mocked the candidates in the Tory leadership race.
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Farage jokes about PM accepting gifts
But he turned to more serious points, too – promising that Reform UK will “be vetting candidates rigorously at all levels” in future.
Addressing crowds in Birmingham, Mr Farage said the party has not got “time” or “room” for “a few extremists to wreck the work of a party that now has 80,000 members”.
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“The infant that Reform UK was has been growing up,” he said in his speech and pointed towards the success of the Liberal Democrats at the general election.
He told delegates his party has to “model ourselves on the Liberal Democrats” which secured 72 seats on a smaller popular vote share than Reform UK.
He said: “The Liberal Democrats put literature and leaflets through doors repeatedly in their target areas, and despite the fact they haven’t got any policies at all. In fact, the whole thing’s really rather vacuous, isn’t it? But they manage with a vote much lower than ours to win 72 seats in parliament.”
Reform won more than four million votes in July, and 14% of the vote share – more than the Lib Dems.
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