UK parliamentary vote on calling for a ceasefire in Gaza has revealed divisions within the Labour Party, with many Muslim MPs defying the leader Keir Starmer and urging an immediate halt to Israel’s onslaught on Palestinians. 

The Scottish National Party (SNP) introduced an amendment urging the government to “join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.”

But the motion was defeated by 293 votes to 125. 

The Conservative party voted against the amendment, while Starmer instructed his MPs to abstain. Ten shadow ministers were among 56 Labour MPs to rebel and vote in favour of the motion.

Muslim MPs who voted for a ceasefire were: Tahir Ali (Labour), Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour), Apsana Begum (Labour), Rupa Huq (Labour), Imran Hussain (Labour), Afzal Khan (Labour), Khalid Mahmood (Labour), Yasmin Qureshi (Labour), Anum Qaisar (Scottish National Party), Naz Shah (Labour), Zarah Sultana (Labour), Mohammad Yasin (Labour) 

Muslim MPs who voted against a ceasefire were Conservative Muslim MPs, Saqib Bhatti and Rehman Chishti. Rushanara Ali (Labour), Shabana Mahmood (Labour), Tulip Siddiq (Labour) and Nusrat Ghani (Conservative) abstained. 

Other prominent politicians who voted for a ceasefire included Labour’s Jess Phillips, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

Starmer had put forth an alternative amendment proposing daily humanitarian pauses. That too was defeated by 290 votes to 183.

The UK government has rejected ceasefire demands from the UN and humanitarian organisations despite Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians. Gaza’s death toll now exceeds 11,000 people.

Pleas for a ceasefire

As the parliamentary voted, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered outside demanding a ceasefire.

Muslim Council of Britain said in a tweet: “Parliament’s decision to reject the ceasefire motion in Gaza is deeply regrettable. With Britain’s diplomatic influence, there was an opportunity to halt the killing of innocent children and collective punishment of over 2 million civilians. 

“History will judge our elected leaders, just as it did 20 years ago with Iraq.”

“We commend those who voted for peace, especially those facing dismissal for choosing humanity over politics.”

Yasmin Qureshi Labour MP and shadow equalities minister ahead of the vote said: “The scale of bloodshed in Gaza is unprecedented. Tonight, I will vote for an immediate ceasefire. We must call for an end to the carnage to protect innocent lives and end human suffering. With regret, I have stepped down as Shadow Women and Equalities Minister.”

Shadow justice minister, Labour MP Afzal Khan, also stepped down from the front bench and called for a ceasefire in parliament. 

“If we had a ceasefire yesterday, 144 Gazan children would still be alive today,” he said on X. “History has shown us that military actions alone cannot resolve conflicts. Israel’s use of force will not resolve this one.”

Shadow minister Naz Shah said on X: “Make no mistake, what is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Labour MP for Tooting Dr Rosena Allin-Khan said: “As a mother, a humanitarian who has worked with Palestinians as a doctor, I cannot stand by as collective punishment is inflicted on so many civilians.”

Meanwhile, the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali said she abstained because the “motion does not secure a ceasefire and would not lead towards one, which the people of Gaza urgently and desperately need.”

List of honour

This is the full list of MPs who voted for the ceasefire amendment

• Diane Abbott (independent)
• Tahir Ali (Labour)
• Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)
• Hannah Bardell (SNP)
• Paula Baker (Labour)
• Apsana Begum (Labour)
• Clive Betts (Labour) 
• Mhairi Black (SNP)
• Paul Blomfield (Labour)
• Steven Bonnar (SNP)
• Deidre Brock (SNP)
• Alan Brown (SNP)
• Karen Buck (Labour)
• Richard Burgon (Labour)
• Dawn Butler (Labour)
• Ian Byrne (Labour) 
• Liam Byrne (Labour) 
• Amy Callaghan (SNP)
• Dan Carden (Labour) 
• Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem)
• Wendy Chamberlain (Lib Dem)
• Sarah Champion (Labour) 
• Douglas Chapman (SNP)
• Joanna Cherry (SNP)
• Daisy Cooper (Lib Dem)
• Jeremy Corbyn (independent)
• Ronnie Cowan (SNP)
• Angela Crawley (SNP)
• Stella Creasy (Labour) 
• Jon Cruddas (Labour) 
• Judith Cummins (Labour) 
• Ed Davey (Lib Dem)
• Martyn Day (SNP)
• Marsha De Cordova (Labour) 
• Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP)
• Allan Dorans (SNP)
• Peter Dowd (Labour) 
• Sarah Dyke (Lib Dem)
• Colum Eastwood (Social Democrat & Labour Party)
• Jonathan Edwards (independent)
• Jude Elliott (Labour) 
• Tim Farron (Lib Dem)
• Stephen Farry (Alliance)
• Marion Fellows (SNP)
• Stephen Flynn (SNP)
• Richard Foord (Lib Dem)
• Mary Kelly Foy (Labour) 
• Barry Gardiner (Labour) 
• Patricia Gibson (SNP)
• Patrick Grady (SNP)
• Peter Grant (SNP)
• Sarah Green (Lib Dem)
• Margaret Greenwood (Labour) 
• Fabian Hamilton (Labour) 
• Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party)
• Neale Hanvey (Alba)
• Drew Hendry (SNP)
• Wera Hobhouse (Lib Dem)
• Kate Hollern (Labour) 
• Rachel Hopkins (Labour) 
• Stewart Hosie (SNP)
• Rupa Huq (Labour) 
• Imran Hussain (Labour) 
• Christine Jardine (Lib Dem)
• Afzal Khan (Labour) 
• Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru)
• Ian Lavery (Labour) 
• Chris Law (SNP)
• Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour) 
• Clive Lewis (Labour)
• David Linden (SNP)
• Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour) 
• Caroline Lucas (Green)
• Kenny MacAskill (Alba)
• Angus Brendan MacNeil (independent)
• Khalid Mahmood (Labour) 
• Rachel Maskell (Labour) 
• Andy McDonald (independent)
• Stewart Malcolm McDonald (SNP)
• Stuart C McDonald (SNP)
• John McDonnell (Labour) 
• Conor McGinn (independent)
• Anne McLaughlin (SNP)
• John McNally (SNP)
• Ian Mearns (Labour)
• Carol Monaghan (SNP)
• Layla Moran (Lib Dem)
• Helen Morgan (Lib Dem)
• Grahame Morris (Labour) 
• John Nicolson (SNP)
• Brendan O’Hara (SNP)
• Sarah Olney (Lib Dem)
• Kate Osamor (Labour)
• Kate Osborne (Labour) 
• Sarah Owen (Labour) 
• Jess Phillips (Labour) 
• Anum Qaisar (SNP)
• Yasmin Qureshi (Labour) 
• Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour) 
• Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour) 
• Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru)
• Naz Shah (Labour) 
• Andy Slaughter (Labour) 
• Alyn Smith (SNP)
• Cat Smith (Labour) 
• Alex Sobel (Labour) 
• Chris Stephens (SNP)
• Jamie Stone (Lib Dem)
• Zarah Sultana (Labour) 
• Sam Tarry (Labour) 
• Alison Thewliss (SNP)
• Owen Thompson (SNP)
• Richard Thomson (SNP)
• Stephen Timms (Labour) 
• Jon Trickett (Labour) 
• Valerie Vaz (Labour) 
• Claudia Webbe (independent)
• Philippa Whitford (SNP)
• Nadia Whittome (Labour) 
• Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru)
• Munira Wilson (Lib Dem)
• Beth Wilson (Labour) 
• Pete Wishart (SNP)
• Mohammad Yasin (Labour)