Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has faced a significant rebellion in Parliament regarding its policy on Gaza, indicating a growing opposition in Western Europe against Israel’s military action in the region.
Despite the stance of their leader, Keir Starmer, 56 Labour lawmakers – more than a quarter of the party’s total – voted on Wednesday in favor of an immediate cease-fire, going beyond the party’s official position of working towards longer humanitarian pauses in the conflict.
Although none of Mr. Starmer’s top team rebelled, eight lawmakers in less senior leadership positions either resigned or were fired from their posts.
The vote holds no practical implications but was closely monitored as Labour is currently leading in opinion polls, positioning the party strongly for the upcoming general election in the fall.
The rebellion highlights growing concerns in Western Europe about the high number of civilian casualties caused by Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip, and the increasing pressure faced by lawmakers to address this issue on behalf of their constituents. Recent protest marches in Britain have called for a cease-fire, with an estimated 300,000 people participating in a march in London last Saturday.
One of the well-known Labour rebels, Jess Phillips, who resigned from her position addressing domestic violence issues for the party, stated that she voted in alignment with “my constituents, my head, and my heart, which has felt as if it were breaking over the last four weeks.” She further added that she sees no scenario where the current military action does anything other than jeopardize the hope for peace and security in the region.
Middle East policy is a politically sensitive matter within the Labour Party, whose leadership has closely aligned with the positions of the British and United States governments on Gaza recently and has not supported calls for a cease-fire. Mr. Starmer previously expressed strong support for Israel following the violent incursions into Israeli territory by Hamas fighters in October.
This rebellion in Parliament marks the first significant setback for Mr. Starmer in months. Late Wednesday, he expressed regret that some of his colleagues felt compelled to support the motion for a cease-fire, proposed by the Scottish National Party.
However, despite the challenge to his authority and internal divisions displayed, the Labour leader seems to have made a calculated decision to risk a rebellion rather than soften his stance.