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Lady Warsi resigns over UK’s ‘morally reprehensible’ stance on Gaza Lady Warsi resigns over UK’s ‘morally reprehensible’ stance on Gaza
(about 1 hour later)
Lady Warsi, the senior Foreign Office minister, has resigned from the government in protest at its policy on Gaza, describing it as “morally indefensible”. Sayeeda Warsi, the senior Foreign Office minister, has resigned from the government in protest at its policy on Gaza, describing it as “morally indefensible”.
Warsi announced her departure on Twitter on Tuesday, saying: “With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza.” Lady Warsi announced her departure on Twitter on Tuesday, saying: “With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza.”
In her resignation letter, Warsi said the government’s “approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain’s national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically”.In her resignation letter, Warsi said the government’s “approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain’s national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically”.
She said the UK’s stance was “not consistent with the rule of law and our long support for international justice”, adding: “The British government can only play a constructive role in solving the Middle East crisis if it is an honest broker and at the moment I do not think it is.”She said the UK’s stance was “not consistent with the rule of law and our long support for international justice”, adding: “The British government can only play a constructive role in solving the Middle East crisis if it is an honest broker and at the moment I do not think it is.”
With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #GazaWith deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza
The chancellor, George Osborne, hit back immediately, saying her decision was unnecessary and insisting that ministers were committed to working to secure peace in the region. The chancellor, George Osborne, hit back immediately, saying her decision was unnecessary and insisting that ministers were committed to working to secure peace in the region. “This a disappointing and frankly unnecessary decision,” he said. “The British government is working with others in the world to bring peace to Gaza and we do now have a tentative ceasefire which we all hope will hold.”
“This a disappointing and frankly unnecessary decision,” he said. “The British government is working with others in the world to bring peace to Gaza and we do now have a tentative ceasefire which we all hope will hold.” David Cameron was more emollient, writing in his reply to Warsi’s letter that he realised “this must not have been an easy decision for you to make”, and adding: “I understand your strength of feeling on the current crisis in the Middle East – the situation in Gaza is intolerable.”
But David Cameron was more emollient, writing in his reply to Warsi’s letter that he realised “this must not have been an easy decision for you to make”, and adding: “I understand your strength of feeling on the current crisis in the Middle East – the situation in Gaza is intolerable.” The prime minister said the government’s position on Israel and the Palestinians was clear: “Our policy has always been consistently clear: we support a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to resolve this conflict once and for all and to allow Israelis and Palestinians to live safely in peace. “Of course, we believe that Israel has the right to defend itself. But we have consistently made clear our grave concerns about the heavy toll of civilian casualties and have called on Israel to exercise restraint, and to find ways to bring this fighting to an end. As part of that, we have consistently called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.”
The prime minister said the government’s position on Israel and the Palestinians was clear: “Our policy has always been consistently clear: we support a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to resolve this conflict once and for all and to allow Israelis and Palestinians to live safely in peace. Ed Miliband said Warsi had acted with “principle and integrity” and he urged Cameron to re-think his position. “I hope that David Cameron will reflect on what she says in her resignation letter and change his approach,” he told BBC News. “He needs to break his silence and say that Israel’s actions have been unjustified and indefensible. He needs to show that he can be even-handed and, without fear or favour, argue for the long-term solution that we need to this tragic conflict.”
“Of course, we believe that Israel has the right to defend itself. But we have consistently made clear our grave concerns about the heavy toll of civilian casualties and have called on Israel to exercise restraint, and to find ways to bring this fighting to an end.
“As part of that, we have consistently called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire.”
Labour leader Ed Miliband said Warsi had acted with “principle and integrity” and he urged Cameron to re-think his position.
“I hope that David Cameron will reflect on what she says in her resignation letter and change his approach,” he told BBC News. “He needs to break his silence and say that Israel’s actions have been unjustified and indefensible. He needs to show that he can be even-handed and, without fear or favour, argue for the long-term solution that we need to this tragic conflict.”
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Warsi said: “Our position not to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN in November 2012 placed us on the wrong side of history and is something I deeply regret not speaking out against at the time.”In an interview with the Huffington Post, Warsi said: “Our position not to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN in November 2012 placed us on the wrong side of history and is something I deeply regret not speaking out against at the time.”
The Tory peer said that, having now stood down, she wanted to “speak more freely” on the issue and her first demand after handing in her resignation letter was for the UK to introduce an arms embargo against Israel. The Tory peer said that, having now stood down, she wanted to “speak more freely” on the issue and her first demand after handing in her resignation letter was for the UK to introduce an arms embargo against Israel. “It appals me that the British government continues to allow the sale of weapons to a country, Israel, that has killed almost 2,000 people, including hundreds of kids, in the past four weeks alone. The arms exports to Israel must stop.”
“It appals me that the British government continues to allow the sale of weapons to a country, Israel, that has killed almost 2,000 people, including hundreds of kids, in the past four weeks alone. The arms exports to Israel must stop.” Warsi was known to have been unhappy with Cameron’s failure to unequivocally condemn Israel’s incursion into Gaza or the mounting death toll. On Monday, the prime minister’s spokesman refused to say if Israel was behaving disproportionately or doing enough to prevent civilian casualties. Warsi has been increasingly critical of Israel’s behaviour. She recently tweeted: “Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics there can never be justification, surely only regret.”
Warsi was known to have been unhappy with David Cameron’s failure to unequivocally condemn Israel’s incursion into Gaza or the mounting death toll. Following criticism about the timing of her resignation – on the 29th day of the conflict and after a ceasefire had been announced – Warsi spoke to the BBC to say: “Over the last four weeks, I have done everything that I can both at formal meetings and informal meetings trying to convince my colleagues that our current policy on Gaza is morally indefensible, that it’s not in our interests, it’s not in British interests and that it will have consequences for us both internationally and here at home.
On Monday, the prime minister’s spokesman refused to say if Israel was behaving disproportionately or doing enough to prevent civilian casualties. “In the end, for us I felt the government’s position was not moving and therefore I had to on a point of principle resign.”
Warsi has been increasingly critical of Israel’s behaviour. She recently tweeted: “Can people stop trying to justify the killing of children. Whatever our politics there can never be justification, surely only regret.”
Warsi became the first Muslim to sit in the cabinet when she was made Conservative party co-chair by Cameron after the 2010 general election. She was subsequently moved to the post of minister of state at the Foreign Office and minister for faith and communities in the prime minister’s 2012 reshuffle – a move widely regarded as a demotion.Warsi became the first Muslim to sit in the cabinet when she was made Conservative party co-chair by Cameron after the 2010 general election. She was subsequently moved to the post of minister of state at the Foreign Office and minister for faith and communities in the prime minister’s 2012 reshuffle – a move widely regarded as a demotion.
Cameron is due to fly to Portugal on Tuesday morning to rejoin his family on holiday after attending first world war commemorations in the UK, France and Belgium.Cameron is due to fly to Portugal on Tuesday morning to rejoin his family on holiday after attending first world war commemorations in the UK, France and Belgium.
There was a high-level campaign to remove Warsi before last month’s reshuffle, particularly after she appeared on ITV’s The Agenda and posed with a mock front page about the “Eton Mess” at the top of the government. There was a high-level campaign to remove Warsi before last month’s reshuffle, particularly after she appeared on ITV’s The Agenda and posed with a mock front page about the “Eton Mess” at the top of the government. Warsi is known to be keeping a diary and there have been fears she will publish it before the election in an effort to expose the upper-class coterie in Cameron’s inner circle.
Warsi is known to be keeping a diary and there have been fears she will publish it before the election in an effort to expose the upper-class coterie in Cameron’s inner circle. She was removed as Conservative party co-chair and then, in a battle with No 10, was given the title of senior Foreign Office minister. Her opponents will claim her resignation on a matter of principle is a cynical act, but supporters will say Cameron’s position on Israel has been over-supportive, repeatedly blaming Hamas for the conflict and the breakdown of successive ceasefires. Ironically, Warsi’s decision to quit comes as a three-day ceasefire has been agreed, and both sides are due to enter talks in Cairo.
She was removed as Conservative party co-chair and then, in a battle with No 10, was given the title of senior Foreign Office minister. Her resignation also threatened to reveal disagreement within the Tory party over Israel. The London mayor, Boris Johnson, responded to Warsi’s resignation by saying it was very sad when any government minister stood down. “I think she will be back as soon as possible. My view as mayor of London is that it is not the function of the mayor to get deeply embroiled in this,” he said on LBC radio’s Ask Boris phone-in.
Her opponents will claim her resignation on a matter of principle is a cynical act, but supporters will say Cameron’s position on Israel has been over-supportive, repeatedly blaming Hamas for the conflict and the breakdown of successive ceasefires. Ironically, Warsi’s decision to quit comes as a three-day ceasefire has been agreed, and both sides are due to enter talks in Cairo. He added that events in Gaza were “utterly horrifying and unacceptable”, but said “there is no point in politicians getting in a bidding war about issuing the most frenzied denunciation of what is going on”. Referring to the Israeli bombing, Johnson said: “I cannot for the life of me see why this is a sensible strategy. It is not my function to arbitrate or adjudicate in this matter – I am a passionate supporter of Israel. I cannot for the life of me see the purpose of this. It is disproportionate, ugly and tragic and will not do Israel any good in the long run.”
Her resignation also threatened to reveal disagreement within the Tory party over Israel. Lord Gummer, a former Conservative cabinet minister, tweeted that Warsi was a “thoroughly good minister. Real principle. Deserves commendation not ritual scorn.” Other prominent Conservatives, such as the commentator Tim Montgomerie, pointed out that she had previously shown support for Hamas.
The London mayor, Boris Johnson, responded to Warsi’s resignation by saying it was “very sad” when any government minister stood down. Nick Clegg said it was “no secret there are differences of opinions and emphases” in the government in relation to Gaza. Speaking at an event on immigration, he said: “Sayeeda Warsi clearly feels very strongly about this and has explained it to the prime minister in her own words. I believe it is right for Britain to be unambiguous in our condemnation of Hamas’s indiscriminate firing of rockets but also very forceful and outspoken about Israel. The bombing of three UN schools is a complete outrage.”
“I think she will be back as soon as possible. My view as mayor of London is that it is not the function of the mayor to get deeply embroiled in this,” he said on LBC radio’s Ask Boris phone-in. Asked whether Cameron had been critical enough of Israel’s actions, Clegg said it was up to the prime minister to speak for himself. “Clearly the prime minister and I take different views on this and we always have done. We have discussed this on numerous occasions over the last several years. I tend to take a very forthright view and I have long argued [that] the European Union, which is an economic giant in the region, acts like a bit of a pygmy. If the EU were to act with some courage it could have exercised greater influence on this terrible blood-raged conflict, instead of constantly sub-contracting international policy issues to the United States.”
He added that events in Gaza were “utterly horrifying and unacceptable”, but said “there is no point in politicians getting in a bidding war about issuing the most frenzied denunciation of what is going on”.
Referring to the Israeli bombing, Johnson said: “I cannot for the life of me see why this is a sensible strategy. It is not my function to arbitrate or adjudicate in this matter – I am a passionate supporter of Israel. I cannot for the life of me see the purpose of this. It is disproportionate, ugly and tragic and will not do Israel any good in the long run.”
Lord Gummer, a former Conservative cabinet minister, tweeted that Warsi was a “thoroughly good minister. Real principle. Deserves commendation not ritual scorn.”
Other prominent Conservatives, such as the commentator Tim Montgomerie, pointed out that she had previously shown support for Hamas.
Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, said it was “no secret there are differences of opinions and emphases” in the government in relation to Gaza.
Speaking at an event on immigration, he said: “Sayeeda Warsi clearly feels very strongly about this and has explained it to the prime minister in her own words. I believe it is right for Britain to be unambiguous in our condemnation of Hamas’s indiscriminate firing of rockets but also very forceful and outspoken about Israel. The bombing of three UN schools is a complete outrage.”
Asked whether Cameron had been critical enough of Israel’s actions, Clegg said it was up to the prime minister to speak for himself.
“Clearly the prime minister and I take different views on this and we always have done. We have discussed this on numerous occasions over the last several years. I tend to take a very forthright view and I have long argued [that] the European Union, which is an economic giant in the region, acts like a bit of a pygmy. If the EU were to act with some courage it could have exercised greater influence on this terrible blood-raged conflict, instead of constantly sub-contracting international policy issues to the United States.”
Clegg made it clear he would not be following Warsi and resigning over the issue, saying he agreed with government’s position in favour of “peace rather than conflict and a ceasefire rather than violence”.Clegg made it clear he would not be following Warsi and resigning over the issue, saying he agreed with government’s position in favour of “peace rather than conflict and a ceasefire rather than violence”.
“There are differences of emphases about how forceful the government should be in seeking to bring the two sides together,” he said. The foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said he had had a long conversation over the weekend with Warsi and expressed his surprise that she had chosen now to resign just when the behind-the-scenes diplomacy to secure a ceasefire was bearing fruit.
Foreign secretary Philip Hammond said he had had a long conversation over the weekend with Warsi and expressed his surprise that she had chosen now to resign just when the behind-the-scenes diplomacy to secure a ceasefire was bearing fruit. Speaking on Sky News, he said: “This is an issue that divides people like no other. Emotions run very deep and understandably so. I have to take a more dispassionate view and focus on our objectives to maintain a ceasefire and to get meaningful negotiations under way leading to Israelis and Palestinians reaching a permanent solution. To my colleagues who say: ‘can you do a bit more megaphone diplomacy or offend some people here or there,’ I answer it is more important to secure a result which is an end to the killing in a very turbulent period.”
Seaking on Sky News he said: “This is an issue that divides people like no other. Emotions run very deep and understandably so. I have to take a more dispassionate view and focus on our objectives to maintain a ceasefire and to get meaningful negotiations under way leading to Israelis and Palestinians reaching a permanent solution. To my colleagues who say: ‘Can you do a bit more megaphone diplomacy or offend some people here or there,’ I answer it is more important to secure a result which is an end to the killing in a very turbulent period.”
Asked whether he should be more emotional in his response to the some of the killings of children in UN schools, he said: “The emotional response to that incident is that it is intolerable what has gone on in Gaza.” But he added: “We do not yet have the full details and if I jumped to conclusions, I would be rightly condemned for doing that.” Investigations were still needed to discover what happened and whether the proper rules of engagement and norms followed, he said.Asked whether he should be more emotional in his response to the some of the killings of children in UN schools, he said: “The emotional response to that incident is that it is intolerable what has gone on in Gaza.” But he added: “We do not yet have the full details and if I jumped to conclusions, I would be rightly condemned for doing that.” Investigations were still needed to discover what happened and whether the proper rules of engagement and norms followed, he said.
Douglas Alexander, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, said: “Most reasonably minded people across Britain will agree with the sentiments expressed by Baroness Warsi in her resignation statement today. It is a sad reflection of the prime minister’s misjudgment of the crisis in Gaza that this capable minister has felt the need to leave the government. Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “Most reasonably minded people across Britain will agree with the sentiments expressed by Baroness Warsi in her resignation statement today. It is a sad reflection of the prime minister’s misjudgment of the crisis in Gaza that this capable minister has felt the need to leave the government.
“Labour has consistently opposed the Israeli incursion into Gaza and has repeatedly urged the prime minister to speak up and to speak out against the horrific loss of life witnessed in recent weeks, but he has so far failed to do so. “Labour has consistently opposed the Israeli incursion into Gaza and has repeatedly urged the prime minister to speak up and to speak out against the horrific loss of life witnessed in recent weeks, but he has so far failed to do so. We welcome the decision by Israel to withdraw its forces, but both sides must now fully respect the ceasefire to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”
“We welcome the decision by Israel to withdraw its forces, but both sides must now fully respect the ceasefire to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”