Labour MPs are urging their leader not to whip them against voting for a Scottish National party motion this week calling for a ceasefire, three months after a similar vote resulted in 56 members rebelling, including eight frontbenchers.
Party whips have not yet decided how to approach tomorrow's vote, but several MPs have told the Guardian they risk another damaging internal row if they try to oppose it.
The Scottish Labour party voted this weekend in favour of an immediate ceasefire, but Starmer has stopped short of backing such a position, saying instead that Israel and Hamas need to "get to" an end to the fighting.
One Labour MP said: "I suspect it will be far more than the 56 who [rebelled] last time, especially given the Scottish Labour position and how many more MPs are really under pressure on this now." Another said: "I hope we end up in a better position than last time we need to not get into the same position as last time." The Middle East crisis has proved to be one of the toughest tests of Starmer's leadership.
This story is from the February 20, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the February 20, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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