Keir Starmer calls on Gaza fighting to ‘stop now’

Labour leader faces a difficult week over stance on the war with Commons showdown expected

Keir Starmer has called for the fighting in Gaza to end “now” as Labour faces another difficult week over its stance on the war.

He told Scottish Labour’s conference in Glasgow that his party wants “a ceasefire that lasts” in the beseiged enclave.

“Not just for now, not just for a pause, but permanently. A ceasefire that lasts. That is what must happen now. The fighting must stop now,” he said. as he also reiterated his warning to Israel not to extend its military offensive to the city of Rafah.

His comments came after Labour members north of the border backed calls for an immediate ceasefire and before an expected Commons showdown on the issue next week.

In November 10 of his frontbenchers quit or were sacked after a mass rebellion over a similar ceasefire vote.

In a stance that has created deep divisions within Labour, Sir Keir has refused to back calls for an “immediate” cessation of the fighting, instead backing the government in urging a “sustainable ceasefire”. Labour sources said there had been no change in the party’s position.

Labour has yet to say how it will instruct its MPs to vote this week, saying it needs to see the wording of the SNP motion on a ceasefire.

Earlier, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said he understood Scottish Labour’s decision to support a motion for a ceasefire but said he wanted to make sure any pause in fighting was "sustainable".

He told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: "I fully understand that Scottish colleagues want the fighting to stop now, we've been saying that for weeks, so we agree with them. We want the fighting to stop now.” However, he added: "You can have a ceasefire that lasts for a few days. We want the ceasefire to last and to be permanent and to move towards the diplomatic solution. It will only be a political solution that brings an end to this."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on the SNP, which faces losing potentially dozens of seats to Labour at the election, to work with them on the Commons ceasefire motion. The SNP have offered Sir Keir a meeting to discuss the issue.

In his speech, Sir Keir warned Labour could still lose the general election.

He said some communities had found a new “political home” in the SNP and winning them back would be hard.

He added: “No matter what the SNP say, the Tories can win the next election. Of course they can, politics is volatile. It’s ridiculous to say otherwise.

“So I would also say this. Imagine – even if only for a second – what it will feel like if you wake up on the day after the election, and the Tories are back. Encouraged again, emboldened again, entitled again.”

Keir Starmer issued his warning at Scottish Labour’s conference in Glasgow (PA Wire)

Earlier, former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said he was “convinced now that we’re not going to lose”.

Asked on Sky News whether Sir Keir would be in No 10, he said: “Yes. And I look forward to that very much because I think he would be a mature, honest, dependable leader of a party. And by God, we need all that now.”

Last week Labour was forced to ditch its candidate in the upcoming Rochdale by-election after he claimed Israel had allowed the Hamas massacre that killed 1,200.