Major Labour rebellion over the vote for a ceasefire in Gaza affects Keir Starmer.

56 of Sir Keir Starmer’s MPs voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire, sparking a significant rebellion against his position on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Shadow ministers who supported the SNP motion included Jessica Phillips, Afzal Khan, and Yasmin Qureshi. Ten additional party frontbenchers and eight shadow ministers have resigned in response to the vote. Rather, Sir Keir has supported humanitarian breaks in the fighting.

Sir Keir wanted to be clear about his position and expressed regret over some party members’ votes. He claimed that on October 7, Hamas had carried out “its worst terrorist attack in a single day” against Israel. The government motion on its plans for the coming year, which was included in last week’s King’s Speech, was amended by the SNP and put to a vote.

The SNP amendment urged all parties to consent to an immediate ceasefire and demanded an end to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” The 56 Labour rebels joined other opposition parties in demanding a ceasefire, and as a result, it was defeated by a vote of 125 to 294. Party whips and other frontbench positions are held by about half of the 198 MPs in the party.

A ceasefire has been demanded in a number of protest marches held in the UK in recent weeks, with an estimated 300,000 people participating in a rally this past weekend. The Labour leader had attempted to diffuse the ongoing dispute within the party by putting up his own amendment outlining his stance. Although it was not successful, it still received 160 Labour votes.

Following Hamas’s “horrific terrorist attack” on October 7, the amendment called for the release of over 200 hostages and endorsed Israel’s right to self-defense. A longer humanitarian pause to facilitate aid was also demanded, as it was considered a “necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible.” Sir Keir has maintained that a ceasefire would be inappropriate because it would give Hamas more confidence and freeze the conflict.