11 councillors quit UK Labour Party over leader's Gaza stance

LONDON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Burnley Council and 10 other councillors have resigned from the Labour Party of the United Kingdom (UK) over party leader Keir Starmer's decision not to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Afrasiab Anwar and other councillors said Starmer had indicated he "does not value the voice of the grassroots of the party," citing remarks the leader of the UK's main opposition party made on Friday.

Starmer said his focus was on stopping the suffering in Gaza, not on the "individual positions" of party members.

"Regrettably, after exhausting every available option, we have arrived at the conclusion that the current party stance on Palestine does not align with the values we hold dear," the councillors said in a joint statement.

"Consequently, we have collectively decided to resign from the Labour Party with immediate effect, feeling that our place within the party is untenable given its present position," the statement read.

Their move brings the number of councillors who have resigned from Labour to 50, according to a tally by Sky News.