Chipping Barnet MP urges Lammy to ‘commit’ to trying to secure release of hostages
In his first Commons question, Labour's Dan Tomlinson called for the foreign secretary to do 'everything he can' to bring about 'immediate' hostage releases
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Newly-elected Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson used his first question in the Commons to urge the foreign secretary to do “everything he can” to ensure the release of the hostages in Gaza.
Speaking on Friday, Tomlinson praised David Lammy for meeting with the families of those still held by the terror group, during his visit at the start of this week to Israel.
But the MP, who replaced fomer Tory minister Theresa Villiers in one of the three Barnet seats to turn red on July 4, also pressed Lammy to “commit” to pressing for the “immediate” release of those still held hostage in Gaza.
The foreign secretary, who had given a statement on Israel and Gaza to MPs, responded by noting that, like himself, Tomlinson represents a seat with a “significant Jewish population.”
Lammy continued that Jewish constituents are “hugely concerned about the plight of the hostages, and they worry that the discussion about hostages sort of fallen off the lips of so many people.
“They worry that the horrors of October 7 have been forgotten against the backdrop of this unfolding crisis and war.”
He added: “I want to reassure him, and them that they have not been forgotten.
“Of course, the British government – and this is a cross party issue – is working very, very closely with the Israelis and others to see the release.”
Tomlinson joined Sarah Sackman in Finchley and Golders Green, and David Pinto-Duschinsky as one of three newly elected MPs in the so-called bagel belt seats.
At the heart of their election campaigns was a pledge to reflect the concerns of Jewish voters in parliament.
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