What's happened
Labour leader Keir Starmer faces a crucial vote on a new position for a ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to avoid a major rebellion within the party.
Why it matters
The outcome of the vote could impact Labour's unity and influence the UK's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports that the Labour leader's hopes of avoiding a rebellion have been boosted by a decision to allow a Commons vote on his preferred solution. The Times highlights that Starmer personally lobbied MPs to back his amendment, aiming to stave off a Labour revolt. BBC News emphasizes the pressure on Labour to avoid being divided on the issue, with the shadow foreign secretary considering backing a SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire. Politico points out that the U.K.'s opposition Labour Party is urging an 'immediate humanitarian ceasefire' in the Israel-Hamas conflict, a break from its previous position.
How we got here
The story has been unfolding over several months, with Labour facing internal and external pressure to take a stronger stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
More on these topics
-
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
-
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
Scottish Labour is a social democratic political party in Scotland, currently led by Richard Leonard. It is an autonomous section of the national Labour Party.
Labour currently hold 23 of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament.
-
In genetics, a single-nucleotide polymorphism is a germline substitution of a single nucleotide at a specific position in the genome.
-
Anas Sarwar is a Scottish politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2011 to 2014. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region since 2016, having previously been Member of Parliament for Glasgow Cen
-
The Scottish National Party is a Scottish nationalist and social-democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence within the European Union, with a platform based on civic nationalism.
-
David Lindon Lammy PC FRSA is a British Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament for Tottenham since 2000, and has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor in Keir Starmer's Shadow Cabinet since 2020.