Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett criticised current senior Labour party politicians calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, contrary to the party line, of engaging in “gesture politics” while appearing on BBC Politics on Thursday.
The heightening situation in Gaza has been of significant concern to politicians within Labour, as leader Sir Keir Starmer faces growing unrest and pressure from different sections of the party. In total, more than 45 Labour MPs have publicly called for a ceasefire or signed a Commons early day motion seeking this.
During the show, host Jo Coburn highlighted the breaking and significant development that a senior Labour politician had joined calls for a ceasefire
She said: “Imran Hussein, who’s a shadow minister, has now signed the early day motion calling for a ceasefire. The first Labour frontbencher to do so.”
Directing to Blunkett, she asked: “Is that okay, David? I mean, should Keir Starmer be happy to allow his shadow ministers to call for a ceasefire?”
Blunkett responded with clear frustration. He said: “I just think that everybody needs to have their own pause and think: ‘what am I doing? What difference is it making? Who am I influencing? Or, am I making myself feel better?’ I mean, look, we can’t make ourselves feel better when kids are dying in the Gaza Strip. When people are captured by Hamas, 200 plus, are actually in there, in the tunnels, frightened for their lives… People have just got to frankly, let me
When probed by Coburn regarding who he was specifically referring to, Blunkett clarified: “I’m talking about some of my colleagues who think it’s more important to make a gesture than it is to stay together and have a very clear view of all of us calling for a pause and to get that humanitarian aid in and to hopefully persuade the Israelis to hold off.”
The comments are already receiving backlash on social media as users dismiss Blunkett as a “war monger” who is committed to spewing “partisan nonsense.” Blunkett, as former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Home Secretary in 2003, famously backed the invasion of Iraq, despite worldwide anti-war protests, and has consistently defended his decision to do so.