Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told pro-Palestinian protestors who targeted a Labour event in Newcastle that his party is committed to “bringing about a ceasefire” in an exclusive interview with The Northern Echo.

Members of the party arriving at the regional conference in Newcastle this weekend were welcomed by a protest. The conference featured speeches from Shadow Cabinet ministers, discussions on policy and campaigning ahead of the upcoming general election. 

In a video, protestors can apparently be heard shouting “your hands are washed in Palestinian blood” at those entering the building, while a sign held by one protestor appears to say, “Labour Party – Racist Party.”

They had positioned themselves in front of the Newcastle University building hosting the conference with a megaphone being used to amplify some voices in the crowd. 

A large police presence around the building’s entrance provided a barrier between those attending the conference and those picketing it.

“The Labour Party is committed to, not just bringing about the ceasefire that we all want to see, but also bringing about the peaceful two-State solution that we want to see,” Mr Streeting told the Northern Echo.

“I’ve led protests in the past, protest is a perfectly legitimate thing to do in a democracy and I can well understand why people are out making their voices heard,” Mr Streeting said of the group surrounding the entrance to the conference.

The Northern Echo: Labour North conference

“I would say two things to the protestors. Make sure that your protests are always good-natured, peaceful and make your point in a responsible way.

“And don’t be surprised when the language of protests and the language of diplomacy are different, even if we are ultimately saying the same thing – which is ‘we want a ceasefire and we want to see a peaceful two-State solution'.”

His comments come three months after eight frontbenchers, including City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy, were either sacked or resigned for supporting a ceasefire motion in Parliament. 

It followed remarks earlier in the day from Newcastle Central MP, Chi Onwurah, who said the protesters were acting in an anti-democratic manner.

“What the people outside don’t realise is that what is happening in here is democracy,” Ms Onwurah said.

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“Not bandying accusations, dripping blood on cloth - that is not democracy.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer weighed in on the issue of targeted protest earlier in the week saying: “Citizens have a right to go about their business without intimidation and elected representatives should be able to do their jobs and cast their votes without fear or favour.

“This is something agreed across the parties and which we should all defend.”