A Conservative MP who called for a ceasefire in Gaza has been sacked from his government role over comments that “were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility”.
Paul Bristow was dismissed as a parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on Monday after writing to Rishi Sunak last week to call for a “permanent” break in hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement given to The Sun, Mr Bristow said: “It was absolutely the right decision for the PM to fire me.
“I obviously regret being sacked, but I have many thousands of constituents who feel very strongly about this issue, and feel I can better represent their views from the back benches than the Government payroll.”
Mr Sunak’s decision to sack Mr Bristow within hours of his comments being reported will put pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, to face down his own frontbench rebels.
Thirteen of Sir Keir’s shadow ministers have demanded a ceasefire, in addition to dozens of Labour backbenchers.
But Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said on Monday morning that his colleagues should not be disciplined if they call for a ceasefire, insisting it was “right and proper” that they could split from the party line.
Michael Fabricant, the Tory MP for Lichfield, argued that the decision meant Mr Sunak had authority over his party, adding: “Unlike Starmer, who has lost complete control over his frontbenchers”.
The decision to dismiss Mr Bristow came as the Prime Minister last week called for a “pause” in fighting to enable more aid to get into Gaza, but stopped short of pushing for a full ceasefire.
MP’s letter said ‘ceasefire would save lives’
Mr Bristow’s comments about the situation in Gaza were made in a two-page letter sent to the Prime Minister, and first reported to the Telegraph, in which he said: “A permanent ceasefire would save lives and allow for a continued column of humanitarian aid [to] reach the people who need it the most.”
In further comments on his Facebook page, Mr Bristow said: “Ordinary Palestinians are not Hamas. I struggle to see how Israel is any safer following thousands of deaths of innocent Palestinians. They should not suffer collective punishment for the crimes of Hamas.”
On Monday afternoon, a Number 10 spokesman said: “Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in Government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility.”
Mr Bristow is the MP for Peterborough, where the Muslim population is almost double the national average. According to the 2021 census, it has a Muslim population of 12.2 per cent, while the proportion of the overall British population identifying as Muslim is 6.5 per cent.
He is also the co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, which aims to highlight the “aspirations and challenges” facing Muslim communities and recognise their contribution to society.
The Telegraph understands that Mr Bristow does not intend to alter his view of the conflict and feels it is important to represent the concerns of Muslim groups in his constituency.
In a phone call on Sunday night with Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, a Number 10 spokesman said Mr Sunak had expressed “serious concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
The spokesman added that the leaders had “stressed the importance of increasing the supplies of water, medicines and fuel reaching civilians”.
Earlier this month, Downing Street rebuked Crispin Blunt – a Tory MP at the time before his arrest last week in connection to a rape allegation, which he has denied – after he suggested the UK could be complicit in war crimes being committed in Gaza.
But Tory MPs have otherwise united behind the Government’s position, in contrast to the revolt currently facing Sir Keir from more than a dozen of his shadow ministers.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology were contacted for comment.
