Keir Starmer calls for 'united' Labour Party after rebellion on Gaza vote
Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted Labour to be "as united as we can" after the loss of 10 shadow ministers and parliamentary aides in a major rebellion over his stance on the war in Gaza.
Jess Phillips, the shadow minister for domestic violence, was among the frontbenchers who either quit or were sacked on Wednesday so they could back a ceasefire in a Commons vote.
A total of 56 Labour MPs defied their party leader's position of advocating for pauses in fighting so they could support a cessation.
But Sir Keir said he was more focused on the plight of people in Gaza than managing the splits within Labour.
Speaking exclusively to ITV News, Sir Keir said he "of course" wants his party to be united, "but you wouldn't expect me to stand here today and say my concern is the Labour Party management, rather than the hostages and the innocent civilians and children that are dying in Gaza".
He added: "My focus and attention is there and that's where it is and where it will always be."
Sir Keir dodged answering why the Commons vote was not free for MPs to decide how to cast their ballots, saying: "Over 200 hostages, including women and children, are still being held in Gaza.
"In Gaza we've got innocent civilians, including women and children caught up far too many dying and across my party, there is unity that we must do all we can to alleviate that.
"Of course, there are some differences about how we get there, but you can press all you like, in terms of what it is we want to achieve, there is unity in the Labour party, and I think unity across the country."
The Labour leader did concede though that while daily humanitarian pauses - as have been used by Israel in recent weeks - represented a "step in the right direction", he added: "They're not enough."
His comments come after MPs voted 290 to 183 - a majority of 107 - to reject Labour's King's Speech amendment calling for longer "humanitarian pauses" - as opposed to a longer lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
A separate amendment brought forward by the SNP, calling for "all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire" in the enclave, was also rejected.
After Wednesday's vote on Labour's King's Speech amendment, the following MPs have either resigned or been asked to step down from the party:
Jess Phillips, shadow minister for domestic violence and MP for Birmingham Yardley
Yasmin Qureshi, shadow women and equalities minister and MP for Bolton South East
Afzal Khan, shadow business minister and MP for Manchester Gorton
Paula Barker, shadow minister for devolution and MP for Liverpool Wavertree
Rachel Hopkins, shadow minister for defence and MP for Luton South
Sarah Owen, shadow minister for housing and MP for Luton North
Naz Shah, shadow minister for crime reduction and MP for Bradford West
Andy Slaughter, shadow solicitor general and MP for Hammersmith
Dan Carden, parliamentary private secretary and MP for Liverpool Walton
Mary Foy, parliamentary private secretary and MP for City of Durham
Lisa Nandy, a former chairwoman of Labour Friends of Palestine and shadow international development minister, said the splits were an "inevitable consequence" of the "heartfelt and genuine" views across the party.
Ms Nandy told reporters at a press gallery lunch: "In the end, as a member of Parliament, you have to be able to live with yourself, with the decisions you have made and live with your own conscience.
"Jess is a friend of mine, Sarah Owen is a friend of mine, Paula Barker is a friend of mine.
"They're a real loss to the frontbench, but I know they will do incredible things and make an incredible contribution from wherever they sit in Parliament."
She added a "series of humanitarian pauses", not a ceasefire, was the best way to create the conditions for an end to violence and a long-term solution.
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