Keir Starmer hit by huge rebellion as he loses eight shadow ministers over ceasefire vote

Sir Keir Starmer was hit by the biggest rebellion of his leadership tonight over a crunch Commons vote on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Eight shadow ministers defied the Labour leader to back an SNP amendment to the King's Speech demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Sir Keir, who has faced weeks of pressure over the issue, expressed his "regret" at the revolt.

Jess Phillips, Yasmin Qureshi, Afzal Khan and Paula Barker jumped before they were pushed and quit their roles.

Other frontbenchers Rachel Hopkins, Sarah Owen, Naz Shah and Andy Slaughter faced being sacked for breaking the party whip.

Parliamentary private secretaries Dan Carden and Mary Foy were among the 56 Labour MPs who backed the SNP amendment.

Labour had ordered its MPs to abstain on the SNP amendment and instead support Sir Keir's position calling for humanitarian pauses.

In a statement following the vote, the Labour leader said: "Alongside leaders around the world, I have called throughout for adherence to international law, for humanitarian pauses to allow access for aid, food, water, utilities and medicine, and have expressed our concerns at the scale of civilian casualties.

"Much more needs to be done in this regard to ease the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Gaza.

"And in addition to addressing the present, every leader has a duty not to go back to a failed strategy of containment and neglect, but to forge a better and more secure future for both Palestinians and Israelis.

"I regret that some colleagues felt unable to support the position tonight. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand.

"Leadership is about doing the right thing. That is the least the public deserves. And the least that leadership demands."

MPs voted 293 to 125, majority 168, to reject the SNP's King's Speech amendment calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Ms Phillips, the most high-profile frontbencher to rebel, said it was with a "heavy heart" that she was quitting as shadow domestic violence minister.

In a letter to Sir Keir, the Birmingham Yardley MP said: "I have tried to do everything that I could to make it so that this was not the outcome, but it is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving my post in the shadow Home Office team.

"On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head, and my heart which has felt as if it were breaking over the last four weeks with the horror of the situation in Israel and Palestine."

Some of the frontbenchers had signalled their intention to break ranks ahead of the vote, having already previously publicly demanded a ceasefire.

It comes as Labour has faced a major split in the wake of Hamas's barbaric attack on Israel on October 7 with Sir Keir battling to maintain discipline.

The leadership has backed the UK Government's position of pushing for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to allow aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza.

Following the vote, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that "voting for a ceasefire is essentially voting to give Hamas the green light to commit further terrorist atrocities".

He said: "If Britain had been attacked on October 7, and we knew exactly where the murderers were, would any MP seriously be voting not to go after them.

"Israel must target Hamas proportionally and within international humanitarian law to protect civilians, de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and go ahead with meaningful humanitarian pauses to ensure aid is distributed.

"But Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism."

The loss of eight shadow ministers on Wednesday came after Imran Hussain also quit the front bench earlier this month over Sir Keir's stance on the Israel-Hamas war.