Conference comes to life as delegates vote to sanction Israel and demand a wealth tax.

In a victory for the tireless campaigning mounted by solidarity activists, Labour’s Annual Conference has voted for a resolution on the Gaza conflict which is sharply at odds with the line pursued by the Starmer Government.

The Party grassroots voted for a full arms embargo on Israel, an end to UK-Israel military cooperation and a recognition that Israel’s policy towards Palestine constitutes genocide.

The Party leadership favoured the more moderate Motion 1 that was presented to Conference. But Motion 2, which was proposed by UNISON and seconded by ASLEF, won the day – despite few speakers being called from the floor in support of it. This drew criticism from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign who accused the Labour leadership of trying to “silence their own members”.

Sasha Das Gupta, Momentum Co-Chair, responded to the Conference vote, saying: “Labour Conference voting for the government to employ all means to end Israel’s genocide is a huge feat, marking a watershed moment in the Party since Israel began its genocide in Gaza. This is down to the tireless campaigning of Labour activists, trade unionists and pro-Palestine campaigners.

“It’s clear the labour movement stands united against genocide. Now the Government must listen to its own members and introduce a full arms embargo against Israel.”

The motion came to Conference today after Constituency Labour Parties and affiliated trade unions submitted over 30 emergency motions in the past week, forcing the Party to allow a vote on the issue. It followed weeks of controversy, after the Conference Arrangements Committee had previously ruled out of order dozens of motions on Palestine submitted in advance of Conference.

The successful vote marks the first time that Labour has adopted a position recognising Israel’s atrocities in Gaza as genocide and committing to concrete action.

The motion, moved by UNISON’s Christina McAnea, herself under pressure from a leadership challenge by socialist Andrea Egan, commits Labour to acknowledging and accepting the recent landmark ruling by a UN Commission of Inquiry report, which found that Israel is committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people.

Proposing the motion in Conference this morning, McAnea said “it is a genocide. Let’s not play with semantics. Let’s use the word. Most experts now agree it is a genocide, but if we wait around for this to be confirmed by a court, it will be too late because it’s already happening as we sit here.”

Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, including more than 20,000 children; destroyed health and education infrastructure; caused famine by blocking food and aid; and overseen unprecedented accelerated widespread ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “This is a huge defeat for the Government, with the Labour Party finally accepting that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This historic vote must now become Government policy: imposing comprehensive sanctions on Israel and a full arms embargo.

“If the Government tries to ignore this momentous vote, it would not only be in denial of the facts, against public opinion, increasingly globally isolated, but also at war with its own Party.”

Maryam Eslamdoust, General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Union (TSSA), said: “Today the Labour movement stood on the right side of history and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, sending a clear message to the Labour leadership: we will not remain silent on the crime of genocide.”

And end austerity too

In another radical move, Conference voted for a wealth tax and an end to austerity. The motion also included capping energy prices to alleviate the fuel crisis for millions of households.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham threw her weight behind calls for Labour to implement a wealth tax in a fiery speech that drew tumultuous applause from delegates. “This is supposed to be a Labour government. Instead of picking the pockets of the pensioners, tax the rich,” she said.

Sasha Das Gupta, Momentum Co-Chair, responded to the motion passing: “Labour members and trade unions have spoken once again: it’s time for real Labour values, not more austerity.

“Balancing the books on the most vulnerable goes against the Party’s core principles. The Government needs to change direction by taxing the wealthy and genuinely ending austerity.”