Tory MP sacked from government after calling for Gaza ceasefire

The Conservative MP Paul Bristow has been been sacked as a parliamentary private secretary after calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Bristow had written a letter to Rishi Sunak on Thursday urging a “permanent” break in hostilities as Israel attacked Hamas in Gaza after the 7th October massacre in Israel.

A No 10 spokesperson said Bristow was “asked to leave his post in government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility”.

Sunak’s decision to take swift action on those criticising the government’s stance on Gaza, contrasts with that of Keir Starmer who has yet to take action against MPs, including shadow cabinet members, who have called for a ceasefire, in defiance of the Labour leader’s position.

But Bristow is not believed to be the only Tory ready to speak out on the issue and defy the PM’s position.

A party source told Jewish News, Conservative councillors in the north of England were coming under “massive pressure” to also come out against Sunak’s position.

A parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Bristow is the MP for Peterborough, which has a sizeable Muslim community. He has previously been critical of Israel in the Commons, has also faced criticism over his close links with Muslim local councillors accused of antisemitism.

The Prime Minister last week urged a pause in fighting to allow for more aid to get into Gaza, but has stopped short of pushing for a full ceasefire.

In a two-page letter to Sunak, Bristow had said: “Thousands have been killed and more than one million now displaced. It is difficult to understand how this makes Israel more secure or indeed makes anything better.”

He added: “My constituents and I would be grateful for your comments on the actions our Government is taking to ensure that people in Gaza do not face collective punishment for the crimes of Hamas.”

In further comments on his Facebook page, Bristow said: “Ordinary Palestinians are not Hamas. I struggle to see how Israel is any safer following thousands of deaths of innocent Palestinians.

“They should not suffer collective punishment for the crimes of Hamas. We need a ceasefire.”

According to the 2021 census, Peterborough has a Muslim population of 12.2 percent, while the proportion of the overall British population identifying as Muslim is 6.5 percent.

Bristow is also the co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, which sets out to highlight the “aspirations and challenges” facing Muslim communities in Britain and recognise their contribution to society.