Starmer Under Pressure To Support A Ceasefire In Gaza

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as left-wing organisation Momentum relaunches a mass email campaign targeting MPs ahead of a crunch Commons vote this week.

- ZOE GRUNEWALD

The grassroots group is planning a "lobbying blitz", encouraging people to call on Labour MPs to back the SNP’s amendment demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The issue, to be debated tomorrow, has become one of the greatest challenges for the Labour leader and comes three months after a third of his MPs rebelled against the party whip over a similar call. Momentum supporters flooded Labour MPs with more than 5,000 emails in November, and the group is urging people to do the same this week.

The campaign comes just days after Scottish Labour’s conference unanimously backed an immediate ceasefire, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar declaring himself proud of the vote and calling the SNP’s amendment “perfectly reasonable”.

Speaking at the conference, Sir Keir endorsed a permanent ending of hostilities in Gaza but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Labour was considering whether to back the SNP amendment. Speaking to Talk TV, he said Labour would see what the final motion looked like but added that the party would not be pushed around by protesters or political opponents.