Welsh Senedd members have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Labour cabinet members including First Minister Mark Drakeford abstained on a Senedd vote, and 11 backbench MSs voted against the UK party line to call for an immediate ceasefire.
There are currently deep divides within the Labour Party over how the party should respond to the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza which followed a cross-border attack in Israel by Hamas on October 7 where gunmen murdered 1,400 people and took 224 hostage. UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire saying that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas. Mr Drakeford has called for a "humanitarian pause" but has not gone as far as calling for a ceasefire. You can get more politics news and analysis straight to your inbox by subscribing to our Wales Matters newsletter here.
Labour MP Imran Hussain, shadow minister for the New Deal for Working People, quit Mr Starmer's shadow ministerial team over his desire to "strongly advocate for a ceasefire" in Gaza. The BBC has reported 68 Labour MPs have publicly expressed views that are, or could be perceived to be, at odds with the party leadership and 17 frontbenchers have put out statements, written or shared posts on social media doing the same.
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Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter has signed an amendment to the King's Speech calling for a ceasefire to try to force a vote on the floor of the Commons. We already knew Wales' health minister Eluned Morgan has broken from the official Labour line to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. You can read about that here. However she followed ministerial colleagues in abstaining from the vote.
Plaid Cymru held a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday, November 8, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid leader, said both Hamas' attacks on Israel and the "collective punishment" of Gaza were unjust and inhumane. The motion condemned both the "horrifying attacks carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians" and "the Israeli government's indiscriminate attacks on Gaza, resulting in the death of thousands of innocent" Palestinians.
You can see the full text of the motion here. It was supported by Labour's North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas.
The vote carried with 24 members in support, 19 against and 13 abstentions.
The Labour MSs who backed the call for an immediate ceasefire are:
Buffy Williams, MS for Rhondda
Carolyn Thomas, MS for North Wales
Huw Irranca-Davies, MS for Ogmore
Jack Sargeant, MS for Alyn and Deeside
Jayne Bryant, MS for Newport West
Jenny Rathbone, MS for Cardiff Central
John Griffiths, MS for Newport East
Joyce Watson, MS for Mid and West Wales
Mike Hedges, MS for Swansea East
Rhianon Passmore, MS for Islwyn
Sarah Murphy, MS for Bridgend
How other MSs voted:
Abstained:
Dawn Bowden, Labour for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Eluned Morgan, Labour for Mid and West Wales
Hannah Blythyn, Labour for Delyn
Jane Hutt, Labour for Vale of Glamorgan
Jeremy Miles, Labour for Neath
Julie James, Labour for Swansea East
Julie Morgan, Labour for Cardiff North
Lesley Griffiths, Labour for Wrexham
Lynne Neagle, Labour for Torfaen
Mark Drakeford, Labour for Cardiff West
Mick Antoniw, Labour for Pontypridd
Rebecca Evans, Labour for Gower
Vaughan Gething, Labour for Cardiff South and Penarth
Against:
Alun Davies, Labour MS for Blaenau Gwent
Andrew RT Davies, Conservative MS for South Wales Central
Darren Millar, Conservative MS for Clwyd West
Gareth Davies, Conservative MS for Vale of Clwyd
Hefin David, Labour for Caerphilly
James Davies, Conservative for Brecon and Radnorshire
Janet Finch-Saunders, Conservative for Aberconwy
Joel James, Conservative for South Wales Central
Ken Skates, Labour for Clwyd South
Laura Anne Jones, Conservative for South Wales East
Natasha Asghar, Conservative for South Wales East
Paul Davies, Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire
Peter Fox, Conservative, Monmouth
Russell George, Conservative for Montgomeryshire
Sam Rowlands, Conservatives for North Wales
Samuel Kurtz, Conservative for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
Tom Giffard, Conservative for South Wales West
Vicki Howell, Labour for Cynon Valley
For:
Adam Price, Plaid Cymru MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru for Mid and West Wales
Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru for South Wales East
Heledd Fychan, Plaid Cymru for South Wales East
Jane Dodds, Lib Dem, Mid and West Wales
Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru for North Wales
Luke Fletcher, Plaid Cymru, South Wales West
Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Peredur Owen Griffiths, Plaid Cymru, South Wales East
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru for Ynys Mon
Rhys ab Owen, Independent for South Wales Central
Sian Gwenllian, Plaid Cymru for North Wales
Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru for South Wales West
Did not vote:
Altaf Hussain, Conservative MS for South Wales West
David Rees, Labour, Aberavon (Deputy Presiding Officer)
Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru for Ceredigion (Presiding Officer)
Lee Waters, Labour for Llanelli
