By stewartb
Sometimes even the Labour Party is still able to ‘surprise’ when it comes to attitudes towards Scotland’s elected representatives. Sometimes behaviour is so egregious that it needs to be called out.
If you had any doubts that the Bain Principle – enunciated in 2012 by Willie Bain (above), the former Labour MP for Glasgow North East which states that Labour will oppose whatever the SNP proposes no matter what the circumstances – is alive and well in Starmer’s Labour, this should dispel them. This instance is so noteworthy because of the particular circumstances, a vote in the House of Commons on the appalling humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
What follows is an extract from a speech made in the House of Commons on 15 November by the Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes. She was speaking in the debate in advance of the vote on the SNP amendment calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Source: HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT – PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 15 November 2023
This is what Ms Hayes said (with my emphasis):
‘I have heard from thousands of my constituents who have been in contact with me over the past month to share their views. They, too, are completely horrified by what they are seeing, and they want every possible effort to be made to stop the conflict. They understand that that is what is signalled by the word “ceasefire.”’
‘In calling for a ceasefire, no one is suggesting that the cessation should be unilateral or without conditions: Hamas must release the hostages. In war, ceasefires do not always hold, and we must all be realistic about the intensity of this conflict, but a bilateral humanitarian cessation of the violence—a ceasefire—is surely the minimum we should be demanding in the face of such horrific suffering.
‘This is not a minority view, but the view of Oxfam, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Islamic Relief, the Red Crescent, Christian Aid, and all of the major aid agencies with a presence in the region. It is the view of the United Nations and all of its aid agencies. It is the view of our former colleague in this place, David Miliband, as well as of President Macron, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope.
‘On this issue, the overwhelming, prevailing view of my constituents is that where we have an opportunity to call for an end to the horrific suffering in Gaza, we must do so. “Ceasefire” is the word that they understand to mean an end to that horrific suffering.’
And in closing Ms Hayes states: ‘I fully understand that colleagues will have different views from those of their constituents, and there is no easy response to this appalling conflict.,We must all treat each other with respect at this time but we must all be able to stand in front of our own constituents with integrity, and at peace with our own consciences on the issues that matter most to them.
‘My conscience tells me that I must call for a ceasefire today—a halt to this dreadful destruction and conflict. Far too many have already died on both sides, and more will continue to die if the violence does not cease. We must call for a ceasefire.’
You might consider the above statements crystal clear! You’d be wrong: Ms Hayes abstained on the SNP amendment calling for a ceasefire.
Here is a screen shot from X (twitter) of a message by the same Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
”I support a ceasefire in Gaza ……I did not vote for a divisive ceasefire !”
Helen Hayes MP.
Since when is a ceasefire ”divisive ” ? When it is put forward by the SNP ?
Strewth !!!
I hope all the thousands of her constituents who contacted her asking for a ceasefire realise that an SNP ‘ceasefire’ is not meant to save lives as it is ”divisive ” . Hopefully , after a few more thousands of innocents have died , some MP will put forward a call for a non-divisive ceasefire . Maybe that nice Mr Shanks ,who was recently elected and abstained on the call to stop killing innocents in Gaza because it was an SNP amendment , will grow a backbone and be ”his own man ” .
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I might not like nor agree with them, but I can in a twisted way respect those that voted against, they’re bastards happy to see hospitals & refugee camps bombed, but they admit it & put themselves out there for whatever is coming their way.
The really unsufferable ones are the abstained, wringing their hands & pretending that they really don’t know if killing children is bad or not, but if they say it is then it might just harm their career so they just don’t take a position on either side.
They’re the real scum out there.
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Missed off the bottom of the article when published is this:
‘Ms Hayes is (still) the shadow minister for Education in Kier Starmer’s front bench team!’
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So she’d rather watch innocent people be slaughtered including children and new born babies, than
vote to stop that slaughter, just because it was an SNP amendment put forward. How disgusting.
I read a while back that Scotland cannot be considered a colony because we have representation in the London government by sending a few Scottish MPs to Westminster.
By rejecting the SNPs’ amendment, purely because it was an SNP amendment, proves that the English parliament does not recognise the legitimacy of Scottish MPs, who are there to represent Scotland, a supposedly ‘equal partner’ in the so called UK.
If the UK parliament in England do not recognise the legitimacy of Scotland’s lead party, the SNP, then it could be argued could it not, that Scotland does not have equal representation at Westminster, and therefore is a colony of England.
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I support a ceasefire…just so long as it isn’t proposed by the SNP – seems to be the sum total of the argument.
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