Joseph Ghayouba urges Labour leader to support Gaza ceasefire

Joseph Ghayouba, who represents Bransty on Cumberland Council, is one of more than 250 Muslim Labour councillors to have signed a joint letter to leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner urging an immediate ceasefire.

They call it an ‘unprecedented letter of unity from Muslim Labour representatives’, which shows the ‘strength of feeling throughout the nation and in communities’.

Speaking to The Whitehaven News, Cllr Ghayouba said: "Since I signed this letter less than a week ago thousands of civilians, innocent men, women and children have been killed with many more injured, orphaned, and forced to leave their homes.

“It is fast becoming a humanitarian disaster and war crimes are being committed. More bombs is not the solution to this problem and I wanted to make that clear.

“We need to pressure our politicians to end the violence and protect innocent civilians from horrific injuries, death and forced displacement from their homes."

The letter from the Labour Muslim Network reads: “As Labour councillors elected to serve our constituents, the message we have been hearing repeatedly over the past two weeks is simple, people just want an end to the bloodshed and the loss of innocent life.

“Therefore, as Labour Party councillors, as members, and as members of the Muslim community we urge the Labour Party to urgently adopt a position of calling for an immediate ceasefire.”

Keir Starmer addressed the issue during a speech at Chatham House last week (Image: Stefan Rousseau / PA Wire)

Keir Starmer said in a speech at Chatham House last week that while he understood calls for a pause in the fighting, he did "not believe that it is the correct position now".

Almost a third of Labour MPs, including 15 of Sir Keir's frontbenchers, have publicly expressed their support for a ceasefire.