Sunak fires Paul Bristow over call for ceasefire in Palestine
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Paul Bristow was the parliamentary private secretary to Tech Secretary Michelle Donelan.
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Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to a TV reporter during a visit to Clacton-on-Sea, south east England, on October 18, 2023 (AFP)
A government staffer was fired by Rishi Sunak for calling for a "permanent" cease-fire in "Israel's" war on Gaza.
Conservative MP Paul Bristow was the former parliamentary private secretary to Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan until he called for a cease-fire, cautioning against "collective punishment" of Palestinians in Gaza.
Bristow had urged the PM to support a "permanent cease-fire" in order to "save lives and allow for a continued column of humanitarian aid [to] reach the people who need it the most" in a letter he addressed to Sunak last week.
Despite the U.K. government's calls for humanitarian "pauses" in the fighting, Sunak has not called for an outright cease-fire, touting his support for "Israel" verbally as well as in a visit to the occupation.
A Downing Street spokesperson announced Monday that Bristow was asked to step down from his post due to his comments not being in line with "the principles of collective responsibility."
Bristow is the first to be sacked for opposing the positions taken by respective leaderships within the government in Britain.
Recently, several councilors affiliated with the UK's primary opposition party, the Labour Party, have tendered their resignations in protest of the party's leader, Keir Starmer, who expressed support for what he termed the Israeli "right" to restrict power and water supplies to Gazans.
Britain is united with Israel against terror.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2023
We are united in upholding international law and the protection of innocent lives. pic.twitter.com/0c2tp3U9N3
Prominent figures within the shadow cabinet and other senior members of the party have also echoed similar sentiments to Starmer, defending the current Israeli aggression. This group includes individuals such as Emily Thornberry, who holds the position of shadow attorney general, John Healey, serving as the shadow defense minister, and David Lammy, who serves as the shadow foreign secretary.
So far, Starmer has been defied by over a dozen Labour frontbenchers and numerous regional leaders.
UK Met police to be 'absolutely ruthless' with pro-Palestine rallies
The head of the Metropolitan police, Commissioner Mark Rowley, declared that his forces will be “absolutely ruthless” during pro-Palestine protests, but said prosecutions would only happen when the law is broken.
During his interview on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday show, Rowley claimed that “many more” arrests are due in the coming weeks.
“We will robustly enforce up to the line of the law,” he said, adding: “We’re going to be absolutely ruthless and we have been and you’ll see many more arrests over the next week or so.”
This statement comes a day after around 100,000 pro-Palestinian activists marched through downtown London demanding that the British government call a ceasefire after "Israel's" military expanded its air and ground strikes on Gaza.
The UK Home Office is developing plans that could result in the expulsion of foreign students, academics, and workers for either expressing support for the Palestinian resistance faction Hamas or criticizing the ongoing Israeli aggression.
Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, has tasked department officials with assessing visa revocation based on national security concerns and the presence of evidence indicating discrimination or support for the terror group in the aftermath of its activities in "Israel".
During a UNGA vote on Thursday, calling for a humanitarian truce between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance, the United Kingdom abstained from voting.
The resolution was approved with 120 votes in favor, 45 abstentions, and 14 votes against, including "Israel" and the United States.
