Eight Labour frontbenchers, including Jess Phillips, resigned on Wednesday night as Keir Starmer faced a significant rebellion over a vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. Overall, 56 Labour MPs voted for an SNP amendment to the King's Speech calling for an immediate ceasefire, dealing a blow to the Labour leader's efforts to maintain party unity on the Israel-Hamas war.
Labour officials had warned that any frontbencher backing the SNP motion would be sacked. Jess Phillips, Afzal Khan, Yasmin Qureshi, and Paula Barker resigned before the vote, while Rachel Hopkins, Sarah Owen, Naz Shah, and Andy Slaughter were dismissed by Starmer after voting for the amendment. Mary Foy and Dan Carden, both parliamentary private secretaries, also left their roles.
After the vote, Starmer expressed regret that colleagues had not supported his position, reiterating his calls for adherence to international law and humanitarian pauses. 'Leadership is about doing the right thing,' he said, adding that this was 'the least that leadership demands.'
In her resignation letter, Phillips said she was leaving with a 'heavy heart', stating she could see no route where current military action would not put at risk peace and security. Shah, who was sacked, told the Commons: 'Whilst it may be a matter of convention to follow our closest ally, the US, ... it is a matter of conscience to step away from our closest ally in the interests of peace.'
The SNP amendment was rejected by 293 votes to 125, with Labour having instructed its MPs to abstain. Despite this, many Labour MPs chose to vote for both the SNP motion and the party's own amendment, reflecting anger among party members over Starmer's handling of the conflict.
