Keir Starmer slips, mistakenly calling for the return of 'sausages' from Gaza instead of 'hostages'
(Video: ITV NEWS)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made headlines Tuesday with an unexpected slip of the tongue during his first speech at the Labour Party's annual conference since taking office.
Addressing the audience in Liverpool, Starmer mistakenly called for the return of "sausages" from Gaza instead of "hostages."
"I am once again calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for the return of the... sausages... the hostages..." he said, and although he quickly corrected himself, the gaffe spread rapidly online, with British media outlets humorously highlighting the blunder.
In his speech, Starmer also called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and a return to a two-state solution framework and urged for restraint along the Israel-Lebanon border amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
During the address, Starmer also had to deal with a protester who interrupted his remarks to ask what he was doing to help children in Gaza. Starmer, who succeeded pro-Palestinian advocate Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, responded: “We changed this party, and that’s why we have a Labour government now.” The crowd responded with applause as security escorted the protester out.
Corbyn had previously accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and repeatedly refused to label Hamas as a terrorist organization. He led Labour into the 2019 election, where the party suffered a crushing defeat to the Conservatives.