Two Labour Council Leaders Call for Keir Starmer's Resignation Over Israel Stance Amid Ceasefire Controversy

Council leaders Afrasiab Anwar and Asjad Mahmood express dissatisfaction over Starmer's refusal to demand ceasefire, declaring Starmer's stance fails to uphold Labour Party values; Starmer continues to assert party unity despite growing dissent.

Two Labour council leaders, Afrasiab Anwar and Asjad Mahmood, have publicly called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign over his stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, criticising his refusal to demand a ceasefire and his alignment with the government's position.
Despite internal dissent, Starmer remains steadfast in his stance, insisting that there is unity within the party and that the focus should be on providing support and help to the people affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Starmer has backed calls for 'humanitarian pauses' in the fighting to allow for the aid and support to enter and for people to escape but has resisted calls for backing a full ceasefire.
It is clear that pressure on Starmer is mounting from within the Labour party, with 16 frontbenchers having now openly defied his stance and called for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
In addition, various senior party figures, including London mayor Sadiq Khan, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, have publicly broken ranks with Starmer's stance to call for a ceasefire.