A number of people have written to me expressing their anger (and in some cases abuse) after a widely shared and misleading article implied that I had voted to support the bombardment of Gaza.

Let me be clear.  To date there has been NO parliamentary vote on this issue.

Early Day Motions (EDMs) are not binding and have no impact on changing government policy.  Many MPs consider them to be an ineffective tool and instead choose to take other more effective action on issues.  Personal lobbying both behind the scenes and during debates in the House of Commons are far more effective in convincing government ministers to change course.

My views on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza are well known.  I wrote to the Prime Minister on 12 October and, on Wednesday 25 October during Prime Minister’s Questions, I urged him to press for a ceasefire:

You can see the video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EW4MORXpC0w

I continue to make representations to my own party at every level.  I have regularly attended parliamentary briefings by leading NGOs which are on the ground in Gaza, and I have held meetings with the Palestinian ambassador.

We all know that disinformation is a commonplace online. I would therefore strongly encourage those who have written to me to act responsibly and seek clarification or verify sources before sharing.

I am disappointed that several social media “influencers” have used this misinformation to target and vilify ‘Muslim MPs’.  Despite being provided with the correct context they have refused to correct or delete their defamatory and libellous posts.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is devastating and I will continue to do all that I can to push for peace.