Labour: 'Unacceptable' for MPs to be 'left in the dark' over Israel legal advice

time now to speak to the labor party about this morning's stories Deputy national campaign coordinator Ellie Reeves is here with me very good morning to you thanks for coming in first of all we've heard that um Israel has announced that it's opening up new humanitarian routes to get more Aid into Gaza what's your reaction to that well I'm pleased that they're doing that aid needs to be ramped up the the loss of life in Gaza has been intolerable 32,000 people killed and there are still hostages in Gaza so the aid getting in is is good I hope that they um fulfill that but actually what we need is an immediate ceasefire in Gaza what more action should the UK take should the UK stop arm sales to Israel I've got really serious concerns about arm sales to Israel that's why we have repeatedly called for the government to publish the legal advice that it's received D on this if the legal advice says that there is a clear risk that UK arms are uh being used to commit or facilitate uh breaches of international humanitarian law then arm cell should stop immediately but the government have had this advice for close to a month now and haven't published it if the advice does say that there are real questions about why they haven't already acted you're calling for it to be published then so when Parliament returns next week will you be taking any formal roots to try and force the government's hand well I think the the government need to come and make a statement to the the house on this issue and be held to account by uh MPS they've got to publish this uh advice you we're being left in the dark about what it says and that's completely unacceptable okay so if labor forms the next government what you're saying is you'd be comfortable to routinely publish legal advice in matters like this well we need to see this legal advice you know we're talking about very very serious situation uh in uh Gaza 32,000 people uh killed uh people in Northern Gaza facing uh famine uh it's incredibly important that we see this advice so that appropriate action can be taken yes you made that clear that you want to see this legal advice but the government says it's convention to keep legal advice in matters like this private by you calling for it to be published are you saying that labor would be comfortable to publish legal advice if they were in government on issues like this I think you have to deal with things on a case-by Case basis but it is important that we see this advice we're being kept in the dark about something incredibly serious we do need to see that you know it's the government that sets the rules about arms ex exports and it's important that we're transparent about whether they are meeting the their own rules that they have set and we don't know in this case because they won't publish that advice well you know that by by calling for it people will say labor would publish the advice yeah I understand I understand that but in this case it's really important that we see that advice the labor group momentum has said that more than 50 labor MPS have demanded an end to arm sales that's a quarter of the total number of Labor MPS just how divided is your party on this issue we're not a divided party we put down a really uh strong uh Motion in Parliament calling for an immediate ceasefire saying that any ground offensive in Rafa would be completely intolerable the aid needs to be ramped up uh into Gaza and that the hostages need to be uh released we've been really clear in our uh position we also want to see a two-state solution not just as you know empty words but a political uh reality and you know I hope that's something that all MPS would get behind well civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have expressed some concern that they could be deemed complicit in some way in war crimes in Gaza if Israel was found to have broken international law they they're talking about wanting to stop working immediately do you back them in that uh I've not seen those reports or that uh story but again this is why it's so important that that legal advice is published so that we know whether the advice is that there uh is uh a risk of a breach of international humanitarian law that's why this is so important that they publish the advice that they failed to do so let me tell you a little bit more about it it's the PCS Union and Paul o Conor from the PCS Union have said they've put our members in the firing line they've had to carry out things that are essentially in breach of not just domestic law but a whole raft of international obligations so do you have some simp Sy with the Union look I want to see that advice as I say I've got really serious concerns about armed sales to uh Israel and I think it's important that we see that advice that's why we've been calling on the government I don't know why they haven't published it they need to make the position clear on this they set the rules on arm sell they need to be clear about whether those that their own rules might be breached in this case I want to ask you about William rag um the senior conservative who has admitted that he gave out MP's contact details uh to someone he met on a dating app uh he said he was scared he thought that the man had some compromising um things on him what do you think should happen to him now well it's a police matter uh now that's being uh investigated um and I think it's really important that investigation takes its uh course uh I've read the reports about William uh rag uh and you know it it is very uh concerning uh in terms of uh MP's uh safety and their numbers being given out but um anyone that's got information I think should go forward to the police and the Parliament uh authorities so this now can be properly investigated do you have any concerns that the fishing exercise could be the act of hostile State look I think that's a possibility but that's why it's important that there is a proper police investigation now into into what has what has happened okay well Ellie re we will leave it there but thanks very much indeed for coming in this morning we it