A ministerial aide in the British government, Paul Bristow, has been relieved of his government role following his public call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Bristow’s comments advocating a “permanent ceasefire” were met with disapproval from the British government, which stated that they were not in line with the principles of collective responsibility.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister last week, Bristow expressed his belief that a permanent ceasefire would save lives and facilitate the much-needed delivery of aid to those in Gaza.

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The British government, however, supports “humanitarian pauses” but does not endorse a full ceasefire.

During a recent session of Prime Minister’s Questions, Rishi Sunak addressed the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

While he mentioned the possibility of implementing “specific pauses” to enable the delivery of additional aid to the region, he firmly rejected calls for supporting a ceasefire, emphasizing Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense.

A Downing Street spokesperson announced Bristow’s departure, stating, “Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility.”

Collective responsibility is the established practice in which all government members are expected to publicly support government policies, irrespective of their personal reservations or disagreements.

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Paul Bristow, the Conservative MP for Peterborough, served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology.

Bristow’s letter to the Prime Minister expressed deep concern for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and questioned the effectiveness of the ongoing conflict in enhancing Israel’s security or improving the situation.

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Bristow’s constituency, Peterborough, includes over 17% of Muslim residents, and he emphasized that some of his constituents had been directly affected by the Gaza conflict.

His seat is considered marginal, won from Labour with a majority of 2,580 votes in the last general election.