INSIGHT - So proud to be a Liberal Democrat!

So proud to be a Liberal Democrat

Today I am even prouder to be a Liberal Democrat.  Why?  Because on Wednesday evening in the House of Commons, all 15 Liberal Democrats voted with the SNP for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Given the mass deaths and destruction caused to the innocent Palestinian people and their homes, there was overwhelming evidence for a complete cessation of hostilities on both sides on purely humanitarian grounds A ‘humanitarian pause in fighting’ is not humanitarian in the slightest as after each pause, the fighting and deaths and destruction would continue.

Cannot our Conservative and Labour ‘Starmerites’ see the absurdity of their position as the numbers of innocent deaths mount?

A ceasefire is not in itself enough: the world then must help with the UN and especially the Arab community, all pulling together to get the Israeli hostages freed and vital supplies to the besieged community of Gaza before this conflict spreads to a wider battleground.

Only if this happens will it be possible to move towards a two-state solution, with particular concern for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the whole community of Gaza.

I was so proud to be a Liberal Democrat when I took part in the protest march in London along with around 1.5 million other people against the Iraq War in 2003:  I am even prouder now that our Lib Dem MPs had the courage to be on the right side of history in this current conflict.

Stephen Hardy MBE