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Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
What's stopping Keir Starmer from recognising Palestine as a state?
Sir Keir Starmer is coming under a lot of pressure to recognise Palestinian statehood. He's under pressure from 221 MPs – more than a third of all the people who sit in the House of Commons – who collectively signed a letter urging recognition. He's under pressure from Jeremy Corbyn's newly announced left-wing party, which placed alleged UK complicity in the Gaza horror at the centre of its launch, and the significant number of supporters it has attracted. And he's under pressure from top Labour figures, ranging from London Mayor Sadiq Khan to members of his own cabinet, who are pushing him on the matter both publicly and privately. Those calls have grown in the past few days, as images of starving children have been beamed around the world and French President Emmanuel Macron has announced France will formally recognise Palestine as a state. But the Prime Minister has remained firm, insisting he will only press forward at the moment when the move would have the maximum impact. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here. In a statement released on Thursday night, Starmer said: 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.' The UK is deeply entwined in the history of the region currently occupied by Israel and Palestine. In 1916, the British claimed control of the region called Palestine amid the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and the following year, Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour said the UK would back a 'national home' for the Jewish people in the area. A little over three decades later, in 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of Israel. The UN admitted Israel as a member in 1949, but not Palestine. It was not until 1988 that Palestinian statehood was recognised by any UN member states, after the Palestinian National Council formally declared independence. Today, 147 of the UN's 193 member states recognise Palestine, including the vast majority of the countries in Asia, Africa and South America. The UK, US, Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are among the nations that do not. In 2014, MPs in the House of Commons voted to 274 to 12 in favour of recognising Palestine as a state. But David Cameron's government responded with a line that remains familiar today – that recognition would wait until it was deemed most appropriate for the peace process. On the face of it, the British government appears to be closer than ever to announcing formal recognition of a Palestinian state. Among the high-profile cabinet members reportedly arguing in favour are Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The UK has also been closely aligning with France on the issue, as part of the E3 group of nations alongside Germany. However, both Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have insisted publicly that the move is only worth making when it would be most effective in the pursuit of peace. On Tuesday, Lammy told the BBC: 'We don't just want to recognise symbolically, we want to recognise as a way of getting to the two states that sadly many are trying to thwart at this point in time.' Labour's election manifesto last year said the party is 'committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.' More Trending The letter signed by 221 MPs, organised by Labour's Sarah Champion, said the announcement of recognition should come at a UN conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday. It said: 'British recognition of Palestine would be particularly powerful given its role as the author of the Balfour Declaration and the former Mandatory Power in Palestine. Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. 'Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people under that Mandate.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Will there be a bank holiday and trophy parade if England win Women's Euro 2025? MORE: Empty shops to be turned into clubs and bars under new government plans MORE: Trump warns 'there'll be no Europe left' before immediately hitting golf course
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump arrives in Scotland as President greeted at Prestwick Airport
The President was to be greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he stepped off the Air Force One flight. Donald Trump has arrived at Prestwick Airport ahead of his four-day "private" trip in Scotland. The US President was to be greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray after the Air Force One flight touched down at around 8.28pm on Friday. The Republican leader will now head from the airport to spend time at his luxury Turnberry Hotel and golf resort, which is 35 miles further south. Trump is expected to meet Keir Starmer in South Ayrshire in the coming days before they then both travel to Aberdeenshire, where the President will formally open a new golf course at his Menie Estate. Murray said yesterday the UK will extend a "warm welcome" to the president, given the historic ties between the two countries. "Of course it's a warm welcome,' he said. "We would always have a warm welcome for the president of the United States. "The office of the president of the United States and the office of the Prime Minister are ones that work very, very closely together, and should do, because it's in our national interest to do so. 'We should make sure those relationships are in place because it's important for our defence, our security, our economy – especially for jobs – and it's really, really important to the finer details of the US trade deal that's been done.' Murray's comments come despite a 2019 motion in the House of Commons which he backed – along with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting – while in opposition which accused the president of 'misogynism, racism and xenophobia'. Pressed on his support for the motion, Murray did not answer, instead focusing on the importance of the relationship between the two countries. Murray said the Scottish Secretary has a 'duty' to welcome foreign dignitaries. Speaking to reporters before he began his travel to Scotland today, the US president described his Turnberry golf course as 'the number one course in the world'. Trump said he was going to have dinner at Turnberry with Starmer and 'then we're going to go to the oil capital of Europe, which is Aberdeen'. He added: 'We're going to have a good time. I think the Prime Minister and I get along very well.' Trump will also meet with John Swinney during his time in Scotland. Asked about meeting with the First Minister, President Trump said he has a 'lot of love' for Scotland. He added: ' The Scottish leader is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him.' Trump also indicated he and Sir Keir Starmer could 'approve' the US-UK trade deal when they meet in Scotland. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. He said: 'We're going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even approve it.' Protests are expected in parts of Scotland during the visit, with police expected to be stretched and requests for extra officers being issued to other forces in the UK. The Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said policing will be 'seriously affected'.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer resists pressure to recognise Palestine now as 220 MPs back call
Keir Starmer said recognition of a Palestinian state must come as a part of a pathway to a lasting peace as 220 MPs pile pressure on PM amid horror over Gaza scenes Keir Starmer has resisted calls to immediately move to recognise a Palestinian state and said it must come as part of a "pathway to peace" French President Emmanuel Macron said France would take the step at the UN General Assembly in September, piling pressure on the UK to follow suit. But the declaration sparked anger in Israel and Washington, with Donald Trump telling reporters that 'what he (Macron) says doesn't matter". Mr Starmer is facing pressure from his Cabinet and MPs to act amid mass starvation in Gaza. Some 221 MPs - a third of the House of Commons - signed a letter tonight urging the PM to formally acknowledge Palestine statehood at a UN conference next week. Writing in the Mirror, Mr Starmer said starvation and desperation in Gaza is "utterly horrifying" and the UK was scaling up its efforts to evacuate children who need medical help and to get aid in. "It is a humanitarian catastrophe. And it must end now," he said. "We will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinian people immediately." The PM said recognition of a Palestinian state must come as a part of a pathway to a lasting peace in the region. "It must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis," he said. "This is the way to ensure that recognition is a tool of maximum impact to improve the lives of those who are suffering – which must always be our ultimate goal." The UK and its allies must work together to end the suffering, he said, pointing to efforts to form a "Coalition of the Willing" to support a potential peace deal in Ukraine. The PM is expected to raise the situation in Gaza with Donald Trump next week while the US President visits his golf courses in Scotland. The talks come at a pivotal moment, and may allow Mr Starmer to use the relationship he has built with Mr Trump to press for the US to take a tougher stance. But Mr Starmer is facing pressure himself to go further. 221 MPs from different political parties have joined forces to call on the Government to recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in New York next week. In a letter, coordinated by Labour MP Sarah Champion, they said: "We are expectant that the outcome of the conference will be the UK Government outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution; as well as how it will work with international partners to make this a reality." Ms Champion acknowledged "recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza or the rapid expansion of settlements and settler violence in the West Bank". But she said it would be an important step on the path towards a two-state solution to end the war. She added: "Recognition would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people, that they are not alone and they need to maintain hope that there is a route that leads to lasting peace and security for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people." Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Britain's most senior Muslim politician, has said the move would send a strong message to Israel and was the 'best mechanism to get us through a peace process'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting also called for recognition "while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise". In a statement tonight alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister urged "all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire". Mr Starmer, Mr Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also called for Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza.
