WELSH Labour supporters in Ceredigion have become the first constituency party in Britain to demand the resignation of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over his refusal to back a ceasefire in Gaza.
A statement from the outgoing executive committee of Ceredigion CLP on Friday cited the following reasons:
1 He refuses to support a ceasefire in the ongoing aggression by the Israeli military against Gaza, contrary to overwhelming opinion within the membership of the Labour Party and the majority of the British people.
2 He continues to express support for the genocidal apartheid regime in power in Israel, contrary to the overwhelming opinion within the membership of the Labour Party and the spirit of recent conference decisions.
3 He abjectly supports all actions by the US Government and UK Tory government in relation to the Middle East, failing to oppose massive amounts of arms sales and other financial support to Israel.
4 By his recent pronouncements he is increasingly bringing the Labour Party into disrepute and jeopardising the electoral prospects of Labour candidates in elections.”
"The voice of those in the Labour Party who are horrified by the death of innocent civilians, including babies and children in places of refuge, needs to be heard, and be heard by our party's leader,” the statement continued.
“If that voice falls on deaf ears and the voice of humanity continues to be denied then our call stands."
The move came as the branch formally merged with their North Pembrokeshire counterparts after boundary changes slashed the number of Welsh MPs from 40 to 32, to create the new constituency of Ceredigion Preseli.
Incoming Ceredigion Preseli CLP Chair, Llechryd community councillor Jan Culley, told the Tivyside: “We believe that alignment with the UK Tory government in failing to oppose the war machine operating in Gaza is contrary to the values and objectives of our democratic socialist Party.
“Alignment must be with the growing number of countries across the world calling for ceasefire, with UN human rights experts, with the World Health Organisation.
“Global despair is being expressed daily on the streets by mounting numbers of people, outraged at the plight of ordinary Palestinians. This too cannot be ignored by our Labour movement.”
Ms Culley, a member of Llangoedmor Community Council, added: “I am proud to be re-elected Chair of a constituency Labour Party that continues consistently to call for humanitarian action as a response to struggles both at home and across the globe."
The move drew widespread support at Ceredigion Preseli CLP’s AGM at Tanygroes on Saturday afternoon where recently-elected Parliamentary candidate Jackie Jones pledged ‘to fight for all the people of this area, particularly those members of the working class whose voices have been ignored for far too long’.
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