Starmer calls for 'return of Gaza sausages' instead of hostages
What's the story
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a humorous slip of the tongue during his speech at the UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on Tuesday.
Instead of calling for the return of "hostages" from Gaza, he mistakenly said "sausages."
"I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of...sausages and a recommitment to the two-state solution: recognized Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel," he said.
The error was quickly corrected by Starmer himself.
Protester interruption
Starmer's speech interrupted, resumes amidst applause
Starmer's speech was briefly interrupted by a protester as he outlined his vision for the future of British children.
"Every child, every person, deserves to be respected for the contribution they make," Starmer said before being interrupted by an audience member who shouted, "Does that include the children of Gaza?"
He quickly resumed his speech to applause and humorously responded, "This guy's obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference. We've changed the party."
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🚨 NEW: Keir Starmer calls for the ‘return of the sausages’ in Gaza, before correcting to ‘hostages’pic.twitter.com/T71PHGKh6m
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) September 24, 2024
Political trajectory
Starmer's rise to power and stance on Israel-Hamas conflict
Starmer became prime minister in July, leading the Labour Party to a landslide victory after 14 years of Conservative rule.
He succeeded former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was embroiled in allegations of antisemitism.
Starmer's government has repeatedly advocated for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, expedited aid deliveries to Gaza, and demanded that Hamas release all hostages taken during its October 7 terror attack.
Policy decisions
UK's stance on arms exports to Israel and UNRWA funding
Earlier this month, Starmer's government announced a partial suspension of arms exports to Israel due to concerns over potential violations of humanitarian law.
This decision was described as "a legal decision" rather than a policy one.
Additionally, the UK has resumed funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which was previously suspended following allegations from Israel that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 assault.