THE Scottish Parliament is set to debate a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East later today.
It will mark the first time Holyrood has the opportunity to vote for a ceasefire and follows votes in the Welsh Assembly and the UK Parliament last week.
Both of Scotland’s Labour MPs failed to support the latter, although Scottish Labour are set to back the motion.
This will be the fourth motion lodged in the Scottish Parliament calling for a ceasefire following Alba MSP Ash Regan, Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer, SNP MSP Kaukab Stewart and the First Minister.
Here’s all you need to know.
When is the debate?
Chamber business in Holyrood is due to begin at 2pm with Parliamentary Bureau Motions and Topical Questions scheduled before the debate.
There will also be a statement on "Scottish Government Priorities".
There isn’t an exact time for the beginning of the debate although it’s likely it will begin around 3pm.
How can I watch the debate?
The easiest way to watch the debate is via the Scottish Parliament’s online streaming service which can be found HERE.
What’s been said going into the debate?
Humza Yousaf has reiterated his calls for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, saying that it is a “time for all of us to show leadership in the face of this humanitarian crisis”.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (below) has insisted he still backs a ceasefire despite reports he could soften his party’s stance on the issue.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Show, he said he would be “supporting the position that I’ve set out now for three weeks”.
Sarwar’s call for a ceasefire is in opposition to that of Keir Starmer – who faced a rebellion from a number of MPs who voted with the SNP in Westminster for a ceasefire.
Other Scottish Labour MSPs have also been vocal about their support for a ceasefire.
Anything short of a #ceasefirenow will mean more innocent people being killed. pic.twitter.com/WxpKHBvt4Z
— Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) November 20, 2023
In a post on Twitter/X, former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard posted a video in which he said “anything short of a ceasefire will mean more innocent people will be killed”.
“That’s why I’m going to parliament to vote for a ceasefire now,” he said.
