Starmer faces pressure to recognise Palestinian state immediately
He also said statehood was the 'inalienable right' of the Palestinian people but maintained that a ceasefire should come first.
Sir Keir said: 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.'
He will speak to Emmanuel Macron, who has confirmed France will recognise Palestinian statehood, making his country the first G7 nation to do so in a move he said he would formalise at the UN General Assembly in September.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for the UK to follow suit, saying the UK 'should be leading on this, not falling behind'.
'Recognise the independent state of Palestine now and take the lead on securing a two-state solution and a lasting peace,' he said.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has also called for immediate recognition, while the Trades Union Congress have pushed for formal recognition of Palestine 'not in a year's time or two years' time – but now'.
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said most of its members back recognition right away.
'It is the view of the majority of the committee that the UK Government should immediately recognise the state of Palestine, signalling the UK's desire to work urgently towards a two-state solution alongside our allies,' she said.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state 'in contribution to a peace process'.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron (PA)
She also told The Times: 'I think there could be multiple benefits. A lot of people would argue that recognition on its own has a symbolic value that could send a strong message to the Israeli government.'
Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday called for recognition of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'.
Sir Keir said on Thursday: '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,' he said.
Charities operating in Gaza have said that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation and warned that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'.
Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by UN agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of security.
The Prime Minister said: 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible.
'While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.'
He said it is 'hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times' but called again for all sides to engage 'in good faith, and at pace' on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
'We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this,' he said.
Sir Keir will meet with Donald Trump during his five-day private trip to Scotland, due to kick off on Friday.
US-led peace talks in Qatar have been cut short, the Trump administration's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, pointing the finger at Hamas for a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'.
The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce.
Hamas-led militants based in Gaza abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed about 1,200 people.
Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
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Spectator
13 minutes ago
- Spectator
France is turning against the EU
When Donald Trump won a second term in the White House last November the response in Europe was one of barely disguised horror. 'The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner,' declared Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Emmanuel Macron posted a message on X: 'The question we, as Europeans, must ask ourselves is, are we ready to defend the interests of Europeans?' The president of France got his answer on Sunday evening. No. The trade deal agreed between Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission president, and Donald Trump has not gone down well in much of Europe. Scholz's successor, Friedrich Merz forecast that Germany's economy would suffer 'significant' damage because of the deal. EU exports will have a tariff of 15 per cent, which is superior to the customs duties before Trump's re-election, but much lower than his threatened 30 per cent tariff. 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For centrists like Saint-Martin – he was one of the first to join Macron's fledging En Marcheparty in 2016 – France and the EU are indistinguishable. Macron's predecessor (and mentor), Francois Hollande once accused him of 'believing in nothing and having no conviction'. That is not true. Macron has one unshakeable conviction and that is the EU. It is why he won't let Brexit go, taking every opportunity to savage Britain's decision to leave the bloc. Twice during his recent state visit he went on the attack. Britons were 'sold a lie' over Brexit he said at one point, adding on another occasion that the country 'was stronger when part of the EU.' As yet there has been no response the Elysee to von der Leyen's trade deal. Perhaps Macron is still working out how best to spin the fact that Britain's tariff rate with the USA is 10 per cent. Marine Le Pen lost little time in pointing this out, posting on X that the EU 'has obtained worse conditions than the United Kingdom.' The leader of the National Rally described the deal as 'a political, economic and moral fiasco' and said that that 'this form of globalisation, which denies and destroys sovereignty, has been outdated for many years.' The majority of the French agree with her. In an interview with the BBC in 2018, Macron admitted that if given the choice his people would probably follow Britain out of the EU. This is one reason why he has been so determined to make life difficult for post-Brexit Britain: pour encourager les autres. Macron's strategy has been partially successful. A poll last year revealed that 62 per cent of the French are opposed to Frexit. The bad news for the president is that 69 per cent of them have a bad opinion of the EU. The poll was conducted a month before the European elections, which resulted in a resounding victory for Le Pen's Eurosceptic party and a humiliating defeat for Macron's Europhile movement. When Le Pen reached the second round of the 2017 presidential election it was with a promise to quit the EU. Two years later she abandoned that position and vowed to reform the bloc from within. Her party won't return to Frexit but it will increase its Euroscepticism between now and the 2027 election. The same goes for the hard-left's Jean-Luc Melenchon, who loathes Brussels as much as Le Pen. Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the centre-right Republicans, is also a long-standing critic of the EU's ambition and voted against the EU Constitution in France's 2005 referendum. That result, he said in a 2020 interview, along with Brexit, 'have shown one and the same thing: Europeans do not want a federal Europe.' Across France enmity towards the EU has strengthened in the last year. The Mercosur trade deal agreed with South America in December is widely unpopular and France's failure to control its borders is blamed on Brussels. The French are demoralised and angrier than ever with their ruling elite. A citizens' collective called 'Bloquons tout!' (Block everything) is using social media to mobilise people for a day of protest on September 10. 'Boycott, disobedience, and solidarity' is their rallying cry and they are urging people to take to the streets across France. Will it achieve anything? Probably not. After all, what's the point of protesting in Paris when all the big decisions about France's future are made in Brussels.
Reuters
13 minutes ago
- Reuters
Britain tries to tackle youth knife crime crisis
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Actor and anti-knife campaigner Idris Elba joined the conversation at a meeting this month, alongside King Charles. Charities and experts interviewed by Reuters call the government's efforts a step forward but say they largely fail to address the root causes. Some charities involved in classes and workshops aimed at young people are urging the government to make such education part of the national curriculum. Overall, knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, figures from Britain's interior ministry show. It did not provide a breakdown of knife crime offences by age group. But data from the justice ministry showed that in the year to March 2024 there were just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children (aged 10-17) resulting in a caution or sentence. 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In June alone, officers patrolled for over 3,000 hours, carried out 366 stop-and-searches, and seized 57 knives or offensive weapons. "Every knife seized is a life saved," Inspector Kate Jeffries of the taskforce said in a statement. After surviving the Southport stabbings, Leanne Lucas launched the "Let's Be Blunt" campaign, calling for safer, rounded-tip kitchen knives instead of pointed ones. Jade Levell, a researcher at the University of Bristol who studies masculinity, vulnerability and violence, said anti-knife crime efforts should focus on early intervention, such as mental health care, rather than short-term fixes like amnesty bins. "Some boys see their only option is to be afraid or to make others afraid of them," Levell said, referring to those growing up with violence, poverty or discrimination. Some 4.5 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, according to charities. In 2023, about 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental disorder, according to the National Health Service. The government announced funding this month for hubs offering mental health and career support for young people at risk of gang involvement, violence or knife crime. The scheme, focused on high-risk areas, is starting with eight such centres and aims to have 50 open in the next four years. The violent death of his son two years ago prompted Martin Cosser to found a charity dedicated to educating young people about knife crime, one of several such initiatives around the country. Charlie's Promise, named after 17-year-old Charlie who was stabbed multiple times in the chest by another teenager at a packed end-of-term party, has spoken to 41,000 young people in schools and elsewhere. "Nothing brings my little boy home," said Cosser, adding that far more must be done to stop the knife crime crisis spiralling out of control. 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The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tens of thousands at risk of poverty despite Labour's benefit U-turn, MPs warn
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