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A British Conservative MP has been sacked from his role as a ministerial aide after breaking ranks with the government by calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.
Paul Bristow was fired as a parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology after he publicly urged Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, to back a “permanent” cessation to fighting.
Bristow called for Sunak to change his position on the conflict last Thursday in a two-page letter, which he subsequently posted on social media.
Innocent Palestinians “should not suffer collective punishment for the crimes of Hamas”, Bristow said on Facebook, adding: “We need a ceasefire.” His remarks were first reported by The Daily Telegraph on Monday.
Meanwhile on Monday, the Labour party suspended Andy McDonald, the leftwing MP for Middlesbrough, over comments he made at the weekend which included the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea”.
“The comments made by Andy McDonald at the weekend were deeply offensive, particularly at a time of rising antisemitism which has left Jewish people fearful for their safety,” a Labour spokesperson said. “The chief whip has suspended the Labour whip from Andy McDonald pending an investigation.”
In his speech, McDonald repeated the phrase “free Palestine”, saying: “We won’t rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea can live in peaceful liberty.”
Bristow is co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims and was first elected in 2019 as MP for Peterborough, where 17.75 per cent of the population are Muslim compared with an average of 6 per cent across England and Wales, according to 2021 census data.
He is the first Conservative MP in the government to diverge from its official line, which is to support “humanitarian pauses” in the hostilities to allow aid into Gaza and dual nationals to leave.
Number 10 has consistently argued that a permanent ceasefire would only benefit Hamas, a stance echoed by some senior Labour figures.
MPs in a PPS role are considered junior members of the government, even though not technically on the payroll, and are therefore expected to remain in step with policy.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility.”
Bristow said: “I completely understand the PM’s decision. And it is with regret I leave a job I enjoyed.” However, he added that returning to the backbenches meant he could now “talk openly about an issue so many of my constituents care deeply about”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is also facing opposition to his stance, which is to call for a “humanitarian pause” to allow water and other supplies to enter the Palestinian enclave.
Several senior Labour figures have diverged from Starmer’s position on the conflict and have demanded a permanent ceasefire.
So far 13 frontbenchers have backed calls for a ceasefire, forcing party officials to brace last week for potential resignations, amid concerns that those most critical of Starmer’s approach might quit.
Starmer has consistently said since the Hamas attacks on October 7 — in which around 1,400 Israelis were killed — that Israel has a right to defend itself.
But many of his own colleagues believe Labour should be more critical of the Israeli government as the death toll of Palestinians from Israel’s bombardment passes 8,000.
On Monday morning, Sunak chaired a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee with Britain’s police and security agencies on the UK’s response to the conflict.
Sunak ordered them to undertake “tabletop exercises” simulating Britain’s response to both civil disorder and terrorism scenarios, according to a Downing Street official.
Sunak instructed all Whitehall departments to review their engagement with external groups to “ensure no resources are going to any individuals or organisations that express sympathy with terrorist activity”, the official said.
No such activity has been detected to date, according to government insiders.
James Cleverly, foreign secretary, travelled to the UAE to meet his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss preventing regional escalation and securing humanitarian pauses.
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