Conference delegates back Gaza genocide motion

The Labour conference has backed a union-led motion accepting a UN finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and urging the British government to act to prevent it.

- Aletha Adu Patrick Wintour

The emergency motion - proposed by the UK’s biggest union, Unison, and seconded by the train drivers' union, Aslef - passed because of affiliate backing, despite organisers indicating that a show of hands in the hall suggested support for a leadership-backed alternative that referred to only a “risk” of genocide.

The union-backed motion urged the Labour government to “employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza” and “fully suspend the arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement”.

A separate leadership-backed emergency motion, proposed by Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency Labour party, largely endorsed government policy to date.

Its wording was described as deliberately misleading by those calling for tougher action against Israel. They said the UN report found genocide was happening and that this required meaningful action to end the risk of British complicity.