Labour’s Imran Hussain resigns from frontbench over war stance

One of Keir Starmer’s most senior frontbenchers has urged the party’s MPs to “choose their words carefully” on the situation in Gaza, saying a ceasefire could allow Hamas to “perpetrate further atrocities.”

Speaking after the resignation of Imran Hussain from Labour’s frontbench, Bridget Phillipson warned that “given the chance” Hamas would carry out further massacres.

The shadow education secretary’s warning came as party insiders played down claims that the Bradford East MP’s resignation would spark further mass moves on Labour’s frontbench.

Labour confirmed that Starmer would not be shifting his position, which he reiterated in the Commons, calling for Israel’s right to go after Hamas, but also calling for “humanitarian pauses” to ensure aid reaches Gaza.

Another MP told Jewish News that while the Bradford MP and ex shadow minister for the new deal for working people, was a “respected member” of Labour’s frontbench “you can probably make your case calling for Starmer to shift his position better there than you can on the backbenches.”

Hussain resigned exactly one month after the October 7th atrocity in Israel, writing in a letter that he was “deeply troubled” by Starmer’s LBC interview in the days after the atrocity in southern Israel.

In his letter Hussain, a frontbencher since Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader,  wrote:”A ceasefire is essential to ending the bloodshed, to ensuring that enough aid can pass into Gaza and reach those most in need, and to help ensure the safe return of the Israeli hostages.”

But appearing on Times Radio on Wednesday, shadow education secretary Phillipson said:”The difficulty with calls for a ceasefire is that it risks freezing the conflict in time, and also allowing Hamas to regroup and perpetrate further atrocities, which they said, given the chance, they would absolutely do time and again.

“I would urge colleagues to always carefully choose their words when it comes to fast-moving international events, and where it isn’t always clear or apparent very quickly what is happening on the ground.”

Hussain’s resignation did not come as a surprise to the party leadership, with many expecting it to come earlier.

He became MP in Bradford East in 2015, replacing the Liberal Democrats David Ward, whose career in politics was dogged with antisemitism allegations.

Earlier in 2012, Hussain had stood in neighbouring Bradford West, but was trounced by Respect Party candidate George Galloway.

He has regularly attacked Israel in speeches in the Commons, complaining of  Israel’s “brutal siege of Gaza” in 2021.

After Israel responded to the Hamas terror attack, Hussain was the first shadow minister to sign a Commons motion backing a ceasefire in Gaza.Hussain also delivered a speech at one of the London Palestine demos in recent weeks.

He has also come under intense pressure locally, in Bradford East constituency, with its sizeable Muslim population.

Bradford’s Labour Group of councillors also signed a statement calling for a ceasefire.