I remember recently someone on the radio saying all labour have to do is keep on track and dont make any major cock ups and the general election is theirs, is this that cock up?
Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to change his position on the Israel-Gaza war, after a trio of senior Labour figures called for a ceasefire.
The move from mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, puts them at odds with their party leader.
Sir Keir has not called for a ceasefire, instead backing humanitarian pauses to help aid reach Gaza.
Labour frontbencher Steve Reed has defended Sir Keir's position.
The shadow minister said humanitarian pauses would allow aid to enter Gaza "without stopping Israel taking action to disable the terrorists who attacked them in the first place".
In stopping short of backing a full ceasefire, the Labour leader is aligned with the UK government, as well as the US and EU.
Compared to a formal ceasefire, humanitarian pauses tend to last for short periods of time, sometimes just a few hours.
They are implemented purely with the aim of providing humanitarian support, as opposed to achieving long-term political solutions.
Israel began its bombing campaign in Gaza, cut off electricity and most water, and stopped imports of food, fuel and other goods in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October, in which at least 1,400 people were killed and 224 taken hostage.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 7,000 people have been killed in the territory since then, and that its health system is facing total collapse.
In a statement earlier, Mr Khan said Israel had a "right to defend itself" following the "appalling terror attack" of 7 October.
But he added a ceasefire would "allow the international community more time to prevent a protracted conflict in the region and further devastating loss of life".
In a statement, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and local council leaders said Israel had the right to take "targeted action within international law".
They added they had "profound concerns" about loss of lives in Gaza, and that it was "vital that urgent support and humanitarian aid is allowed into the area".
The leaders said there should be a ceasefire "by all sides" and that all hostages should "be released unharmed".
In a video, Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar said: "We need to see the immediate release of hostages, immediate access to humanitarian supplies... and the immediate cessation of violence with an end of rocket fire into and out of Gaza."
"And let me be clear, that means a ceasefire right now," he added.
On Wednesday, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said Sir Keir was likely to be the next prime minister, and therefore had to be "very careful" with what he said.
"It's very easy for us all to sit in a warm bath of throwing around ceasefires, etc but Keir Starmer is in a very sensitive position," he added.
Asked why the UK was not calling for a cessation of violence, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told ITV that the government would not "cross that line of telling Israel it has anything but the right to defend itself".
She said a humanitarian pause would enable British citizens to leave Gaza.
Full article - Labour divisions deepen over Gaza ceasefire stance
Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to change his position on the Israel-Gaza war, after a trio of senior Labour figures called for a ceasefire.
The move from mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, puts them at odds with their party leader.
Sir Keir has not called for a ceasefire, instead backing humanitarian pauses to help aid reach Gaza.
Labour frontbencher Steve Reed has defended Sir Keir's position.
The shadow minister said humanitarian pauses would allow aid to enter Gaza "without stopping Israel taking action to disable the terrorists who attacked them in the first place".
In stopping short of backing a full ceasefire, the Labour leader is aligned with the UK government, as well as the US and EU.
Compared to a formal ceasefire, humanitarian pauses tend to last for short periods of time, sometimes just a few hours.
They are implemented purely with the aim of providing humanitarian support, as opposed to achieving long-term political solutions.
Israel began its bombing campaign in Gaza, cut off electricity and most water, and stopped imports of food, fuel and other goods in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October, in which at least 1,400 people were killed and 224 taken hostage.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 7,000 people have been killed in the territory since then, and that its health system is facing total collapse.
In a statement earlier, Mr Khan said Israel had a "right to defend itself" following the "appalling terror attack" of 7 October.
But he added a ceasefire would "allow the international community more time to prevent a protracted conflict in the region and further devastating loss of life".
In a statement, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and local council leaders said Israel had the right to take "targeted action within international law".
They added they had "profound concerns" about loss of lives in Gaza, and that it was "vital that urgent support and humanitarian aid is allowed into the area".
The leaders said there should be a ceasefire "by all sides" and that all hostages should "be released unharmed".
In a video, Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar said: "We need to see the immediate release of hostages, immediate access to humanitarian supplies... and the immediate cessation of violence with an end of rocket fire into and out of Gaza."
"And let me be clear, that means a ceasefire right now," he added.
On Wednesday, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said Sir Keir was likely to be the next prime minister, and therefore had to be "very careful" with what he said.
"It's very easy for us all to sit in a warm bath of throwing around ceasefires, etc but Keir Starmer is in a very sensitive position," he added.
Asked why the UK was not calling for a cessation of violence, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told ITV that the government would not "cross that line of telling Israel it has anything but the right to defend itself".
She said a humanitarian pause would enable British citizens to leave Gaza.
Full article - Labour divisions deepen over Gaza ceasefire stance
