Keir Starmer calls for a 'ceasefire that lasts' in Gaza as he rallies Scottish voters
Sir Keir Starmer called for a "ceasefire that lasts" in Gaza during a speech in Scotland aimed at rallying votes for Scottish Labour.
Having just returned from the Munich Security Conference - where the situation in Israel and Gaza was debated at length by world leaders - Mr Starmer suggested that an immediate ceasefire was necessary.
“Not just for now, not just for a pause, but permanently. A ceasefire that lasts. That is what must happen now. The fighting must stop now.”
The comments won lengthy applause as he notably avoided using the carefully chosen term “sustainable ceasefire” in his address to Scottish members.
It comes just days before an SNP-led vote on an immediate cessation of fighting this week, which Labour has so far not ruled out backing amid fears the Commons motion could reopen deep divides among MPs.
The Scottish National Party on Sunday sought to pile extra pressure on the Labour leader, whose position on the crisis has hardened in recent months as the death toll mounts and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to dismiss a two-state solution.
Security has been at the forefront of speeches made by Keir Starmer this weekend, as he sought to address renewed concerns across Europe about the possible security implications of Donald Trump making a return to the White House in November, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict, among other possible tensions.
The Labour leader also affirmed the party's "unshakeable commitment" to Nato.
Mr Starmer is believed to be the first Labour leader to attend the Munich Conference since 2010 as the opposition leader looks to set out his credentials to be the UK’s next prime minister.
A general election is almost certain to take place later this year, with all polls pointing to the Tories being out of Downing Street after 14 years in power.
What else did Starmer say in Scotland?
With his party meanwhile narrowing the gap on the SNP north of the border, Keir Starmer told voters there that the “power to build a new Scotland, is in your hands”.
But he also used his speech to highlight the “enormous upheaval” Scotland has experienced since 1979 – the year Margaret Thatcher became prime minister.
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Keir Starmer said that the country is again living in a “time of upheaval”, noting that “revolutions in energy, science, technology that are changing our children’s future beyond recognition”.
Meanwhile, he added there are “new threats to democracy” as a result of the overturning of “the established relationships of power all around the world”.
Describing this as a “new age of insecurity”, the UK Labour leader said: “Make no mistake, in this era, the difficult decisions will come thick and fast and the consequences will stay with us for decades.”
Sir Keir was the first Labour leader to attend the security conference in Munich since 2010 and used the event to stress his commitment to Nato and defence
He stated: “My Labour Party is ready to make those difficult decisions. My Labour Party is ready to deliver security for decades.”
He made a direct appeal to Scottish voters to back his party when the general election comes, telling people that his party needs the “chance to serve” if they want to see “that difference for Scotland”.
He said that Labour will “have to fight for every vote” in the general election, adding: “The right to say we are the change Scotland needs must be earned.”
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