What will MPs who sit for both major parties do if the conflict in the Middle East intensifies – and there are major consequences for public order here?
Yesterday’s Commons statement on the matter may offer a clue. I’ve divided contributions into those focused on support for Israel or Jews in the UK, and those concentrated on Palestine or Palestinians in Gaza. Doing so is an art, not a science – but that assessments may be contestible doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be attempted.
It became apparent very quickly, while undertaking the exercise, that Conservative backbench opinion yesterday was broadly pro-Israel and Labour pro-Palestinian (though not, it should be emphasised, pro-Hamas).
Rishi Sunak was therefore swimming with the current of Tory backbench opinion and Sir Keir Starmer against that of Labour backbench opinion. Will Sir Keir be able to hold his line if and when Israel sends ground troops into Gaza – and casualties there mount (whether it happens or not)?
I’m told by people who know the Labour Party better than I do that he will since, with a general election looming within roughly a year, his internal position is strong.
However, the question is worth asking. Labour tends to represent city seats with large numbers of Muslim and university voters, among whom support for the Palestinians (generally) and Hamas (less widely – but more and in larger numbers than some may think) is heavily concentrated. Pressure on them from their constituents is only going to increase.
Israel or Jews in the UK
Conservative
- Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-upon-Avon)
- Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
- Michael Ellis (Northampton North)
- Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole)
- Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
- Priti Patel (Witham)
- Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
- Conor Burns (Bournemouth West)
- Liam Fox (North Somerset)
- Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green)
- Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon)
- Matthew Offord (Hendon)
- William Cash (Stone)
- Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet)
- Alec Sherbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell)
- Henry Smith (Crawley)
- Douglas Ross (Moray)
- James Gray (North Wiltshire)
- Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon)
- Chris Clarkson (Heywood & Middleton)
- Nicola Richards (West Bromwich West)
- David Jones (Clwyd West)
- Tom Hunt (Ipswich)
- Simon Clarke (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland)
- Mark Logan (Bolton North East)
- Matt Warman (Boston & Skegness)
Labour
- Christian Wakeford (Bury South)
- Chris Bryant (Rhondda)
- Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead & Highgate)
- Diana Johnson (Kingston Upon Hull North)
Palestine or Palestinians in Gaza
Conservative
- Alicia Kearns (Rutland & Melton)
- Crispin Blunt (Reigate)
- Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire)
- Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire)
Labour
- Richard Burgon (Leeds East)
- Afzal Khan (Manchester Gorton)
- Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central)
- Imran Hussain (Bradford East)
- Sarah Champion (Rotherham)
- Tahir Ali (Birmingham, Hall Green)
- Naz Shah (Bradford West)
- Allin-Khan (Tooting)
- Tony Lloyd (Rochdale)
- Stella Creasey (Walthamstow)
- Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside)
- Sarah Owen (Luton North)
- Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough)
- Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush)
- Kate Osamor (Edmonton)
- Stephen Timms (East Ham)
- Whittome (Nottingham East)
- Holly Lynch (Halifax)
–
Neutral
Conservative
- Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)
- Theresa May (Maidenhead)
- Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East)
- Jake Berry (Rossendale & Darwen)
- Rehman Chisti (Gillingham & Rainham)
- Robert Buckland (South Swindon)
- Vicky Ford (Chelmsford)
- Flick Drummond (Meon Valley)
- James Sunderland (Bracknell)
- James Morris (Halesown & Rowley Regis)
Labour
- Nicols (Warrington North)
- Dawn Butler (Brent Central)
- Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South)
- Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow)
- Jess Phillips (Birmingham Yardley)
- Cat Smith (Lancaster & Fleetwood)
- George Howarth (Knowsley)
- Karen Buck (Westminster North)