Sadiq Khan has become the most senior Labour politician to call for an immediate end to UK arms sales to Israel, following the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza. The London mayor said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must halt sales, stating: 'It’s got to stop.'
Khan expressed dismay over the apparent targeting of a marked aid convoy run by World Central Kitchen, in which three Britons were killed. He argued that without publishing legal advice, the government should pause all weapon sales to Israel and hold the Israeli government to account.
Former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett and ex-justice secretary Charlie Falconer also urged the government to reconsider arms sales. Beckett noted that if British arms were used in such attacks, support should suffer, while Falconer emphasised the need for the government to publicly set out its legal position.
More than 50 Labour MPs have called for an end to arms sales, according to Momentum, representing a quarter of the party’s MPs. However, the official Labour stance, articulated by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, only supports a halt if lawyers conclude there is a risk of serious breaches of international law.
