Andy Slaughter grills Keir Starmer over Gaza

Andy Slaughter MP at the Liason Committee meeting with Keir Starmer; parliamentlive.tv

“We hear a lot of words”

Andy Slaughter, the MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick, questioned the Prime Minister on Monday on what he was doing to effect a ceasefire in Gaza. Keir Starmer was answering questions from Chairs of the various select committees in the House of Commons. Andy is Chair of the Justice Committee.

Andy said:

“We hear a lot of words. There has been another statement today I understand, a joint statement with 25 countries, but people are asking for action, you must hear that, and we are yet to see any steps that have led the the Israelis to take action on a ceasefire. Indeed, the opposite is the case.

“Every morning brings new horrors and new atrocities, new displacements, new deaths of civilians queuing for food in that way, and they are looking to you and to this Governemnt to try and provide something that makes this ceasefire happen. What will that be?

Sir Keir Starmer MP answering questions at the Liason Committee meeting; parliamentlive.tv

Keir Starmer answered:

“Firstly, let me be clear, the situation on the ground in Gaza is intolerable, on so many levels, and we make that absolutely clear in all of our exchanges with Israel and with other countries.

Whether that’s the deaths for those who are queuing for aid, whether it’s the plans to force Palestinians to live in certain areas or excluded from certain areas, they are all intolerable and absolutely wrong in principle.

“We have taken action as you know in terms of sanctions, in terms of what we’re doing with arms sales, and we are working hard with allies to ensure we bring about a ceasefire. But we need to get to get to that ceasefire to be able to create the conditions for everything else that needs to happen and will continue to do so”.

Rupa Huq MP speaking in yesterday’s debate; parliamentlive.tv

“Words are not working” – Rupa Huq MP

Also on Monday Rupa Huq, the MP for Ealing Central and Acton, spoke a debate about Gaza in Parliament and posted on social media:

‘Latest UK #Gaza ceasefire plea alongside 25 nations already rejected by Israel, aid now a daily deathtrap, starvation widespread and enforced displacement of Gaza’s 2 million population planned.

‘I told the Foreign Secretary: words are not working. History will judge not this well’.

She said in the House of Commons:

“Our calls for a ceasefire only saw the last one get broken, and now … the chilling order to forcibly displace an entire population of two million people, condemned by ex Israeli PM Ehud Barak – What more concrete are we doing to stop the man made destruction of Gaza: 35 hospitals, hostages, soldiers and civilians before our very eyes?”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP answering Rupa, parliamentlive.tv

Foreign Secretary David Lammy answered:

“We stand with the international community in all of our efforts and in terms of what comes next, we support the Arab plan; we are working with Arab partners to improve that plan and to get to a day after, which we can get to, if we get that ceasefire”.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar