Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, accused Labour and the SNP of being “politically naive” ahead of a crunch Gaza ceasefire vote in the House of Commons this afternoon.
The SNP has tabled a motion calling for an “immediate ceasefire”. That prompted Sir Keir Starmer to table an amendment calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” that must be observed by “all sides” as he sought to avoid another damaging Labour revolt on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Government has tabled its own amendment calling for an “immediate humanitarian pause” while also supporting Israel’s “right to self-defence”.
Ms Atkins told Times Radio: “It is no good to anyone frankly if a ceasefire holds for a few weeks and then falls away. This is a very complex set of moving situations. We are very clear though, we have been throughout, we call for a humanitarian pause so that we can get aid in and can get the hostages out and we have genuinely been leading the world debate on this.
“But I would also say, of course, it is a shame that such an enormous international event is being now rather overtaken by some parliamentary handling problems for the Leader of the Opposition.
“We, the Government, have put an amendment down because we are clear, we have this consistent policy in Gaza and towards Israel, we want this to end but it has to do so, as I say, with those conditions in relation to hostages, removing Hamas from power.
“We are not interested in frankly pretty politically naive parliamentary procedures that Labour and others seem to be indulging in.”