The Labour Party has lost its majority on Oxford City Council following the resignation of a ninth councillor in protest against Labour Party leader Keir Starmer's remarks on the

Israel-Palestine conflict.

Starmer's comments on October 11, in which he stated that "Israel does have that right," when questioned about the cutoff of water and electricity supplies in Gaza, led to the departure of Headington Hill & Northway councillor Barbara Coyne.

Six councillors had previously resigned over the "Labour leadership's refusal to condemn collective punishment of Palestinians." This group included Imogen Thomas, Edward Mundy, Paula Dunne, Duncan Hall, Dr. Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini, and Jabu Nala-Hartley.

Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif had also announced their resignations on October 14.

With these resignations, Labour is now left with 23 elected representatives in a minority leadership, while 25 sit in opposition. This marks the first time since 2010 that the Labour Party has not held a majority on the Council.

Councillor Coyne, in her statement, expressed her dissatisfaction with the Labour leadership's response to the ongoing conflict and accused them of issuing "hollow statements" as a genocide unfolds.

Coyne stated, "I have resigned from the party because I can no longer stand with a leadership that claims to value international law, human rights, and equality but will not condemn clear violations of these by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza."

She further emphasized that self-defense does not justify crimes against humanity, and violence against civilians should not be condoned.

Councillor Coyne clarified that she would sit as an independent but intended to vote with the Labour Group.

Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif, who previously resigned as Labour councillors, have formed a new Independent Group, with Aziz serving as the official group leader. They aim to change the direction of the city council's rule.

While Aziz recognized that they were elected as Labour councillors, she also stressed that people voted for them as individuals. Amar Latif expressed their commitment to working constructively with elected members, stakeholders, and residents to serve the people and communities of Oxford.

A spokesman for the Oxford Labour Party responded to the resignations, stating, "That is a matter for them," and affirmed that the Labour administration would continue to serve local residents and deliver on the manifesto pledges that Oxford residents supported.

The divisions within the Labour Party have deepened with over 20 Labour councillors resigning in response to Keir Starmer's comments. Starmer has attempted to clarify his remarks, indicating that while Israel has a "right to self-defense," this should not involve withholding humanitarian aid for Gaza. Photo by Kaihsu Tai, Wikimedia commons.