North East MPs call for Gaza ceasefire

Written by on 9th November 2023

Five North East Labour MPs and one independent have signed a Parliamentary Motion calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.

The motion, which was orchestrated by Leeds East MP Richard Burgon, calls for the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to “urgently press all parties to agree to an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities” and has been signed by 94 MPs across the political divide at the time of writing.

London, parliament building. Credit: Alamy

Among those are Jarrow MP Kate Osborne, Gateshead MP Ian Mearns, South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck, Easington MP Grahame Morris and Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery.

The independent MP is Middlesbrough’s Andy McDonald who was suspended by the Labour Party for comments made in a speech at a pro-Palestine rally. The Times issued Mr McDonald an apology for falsely quoting his comments at that rally.

Kate Osborne said in a post on X “The UK Govt must join the growing calls for an immediate ceasefire.”

Former Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery has also taken to X to call for a ceasefire, posting: “I fully support a 100% ceasefire NOW.”

The first Early Day Motion tabled since the opening of this session of Parliament after the King’s Speech on 7 November comes as Labour frontbencher Imran Hussain MP quit his post as a Shadow Minister in order to be “fully free” to call for a ceasefire.

Spark contacted the MPs for comment.

The full text of the motion is below:

“This House utterly condemns the massacre of Israeli civilians and taking of hostages by Hamas; agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that these horrific acts do not justify responding with the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; expresses its deep alarm at the Israeli military bombardment and total siege of Gaza and the resulting deaths and suffering; believes that the urgent priority must be to stop the deaths and suffering of any more civilians in Gaza and Israel; welcomes the joint statement from 12 leading aid agencies, including Oxfam, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Islamic Relief, calling on the UK Government to use its influence to help protect civilians, to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law and to guarantee civilians have access to critical life-saving humanitarian support; and to this end supports their call for the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to urgently press all parties to agree to an immediate de-escalation and cessation of hostilities, to ensure the immediate, unconditional release of the Israeli hostages, to end the total siege of Gaza and allow for unfettered access of medical supplies, food, fuel electricity and water, to guarantee that international humanitarian law is upheld and that civilians are protected in accordance with those laws.”


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