Jonathan Ashworth has admitted he should have resigned over Labour’s position on a ceasefire in Gaza, but says he convinced himself that staying in the shadow cabinet was the best way to get Labour into government.
In an interview for ‘The Real Question with Shehab Khan’, the former Labour MP said that his relationship with Keir Starmer “broke down over Gaza”, and that he regretted not making a stand against the party’s position.
“I convinced myself that I needed to be there to make sure a Labour government delivers on its child poverty strategy. Now, people will say what a load of nonsense, you should have resigned and all the rest of it.
“You always convince yourself of these things, you always give yourself a reason as to why you should stay in the tent. You always do, but they were the things going through my mind at the time.”
Here are some of the other topics Shehab pressed Ashworth on:
Why he believes Labour’s relationship with Muslim voters broke down
His account of Starmer’s position on Gaza
Why he was more concerned with securing a place in government than speaking out
How suffering a major stroke on New Year’s Day changed his outlook on politics
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ICYMI: More episodes of ‘The Real Question with Shehab Khan’
