in the United Kingdom, major rebellion within the British left

Correspondent in London

This is the biggest revolt to shake the British left for a long time. Keir Starmer faced a major rebellion on Wednesday night in a vote on Gaza. Around fifty Labor MPs called for a “immediate ceasefire”, while the party line is opposed to such an option. An unprecedented questioning of the boss’s authority since his arrival at the head of Labor at the start of 2020.

Fifty-six Labor MPs – out of a total of 198 – defied the opposition leader by supporting a parliamentary motion calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. At the initiative of the Scottish Independence Party (SNP), it was an amendment to the Speech from the Throne, the government program read by the king recently at Westminster. The motion was not adopted, with the Tory majority rejecting it. Keir Starmer had warned members of his “Shadow cabinet» if they defied his instructions. Ten of them therefore resigned from their positions within the party leadership, thus compromising their chances of becoming ministers next year if Labor wins the elections as all the polls predict.

“The interest of peace”

One of the most publicized departures was that of Jess Phillips, “minister» responsible for domestic violence. “I voted according to what my heart dictated, but also according to the side of my head and the inhabitants of my constituency”, said the MP from Birmingham, the large city in the Midlands which has a large Muslim population. Referring to the Biden administration’s reluctance to call on Israel for military restraint, another resignation, Naz Shah, said it was “a matter of conscience to distance ourselves from our closest ally in the interest of peace”.

As the days go by, the Labor opposition is increasingly shaken by the Gaza war. Keir Starmer is criticized on his left wing for refusing to call for a ceasefire, favoring “humanitarian breaks”. For him, at least in this phase of the confrontation, a ceasefire is neither plausible nor desirable. Such a truce would only“encourage” the Islamist organization and help it prepare new attacks. The Labor boss prefers to urge “breaks”, more realistic and allowing relief to civilian populations. Before the vote, the “Minister of Foreign Affairs» ghost David Lammy told MPs that a ceasefire remained a distant prospect while Hamas refuses to lay down its arms and release all the hostages. The Labor leadership, however, attempted to appease the rebels by proposing its own amendment, criticizing both Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces.

Read alsoIn Labour, Keir Starmer maintains the centrist line

Since succeeding Jeremy Corbyn, a figure of the ultra-left, Keir Starmer has focused on ridding Labor of “scourge of anti-Semitism” and to refocus the party. Corbyn had been blamed for his complacency towards rampant anti-Semitism within the party. He himself had qualified Hamas and Hezbollah “of friends”. And he still refuses to characterize the actions of the Islamist group as “terrorists“. These political tensions come as demonstrations in support of the Palestinians, organized in London every Saturday, continue to grow. That of November 11 brought together more than 300,000 people. And rebel Labor MPs do not hide their concern not to lose the Muslim vote in their constituencies.