I wasn't allowed to ask Keir Starmer a question. Here's what I would

The National

02-06-2025

I was there for The National, and spent two hours in a high-vis vest patiently waiting for my turn to grill the Prime Minister on Gaza.
I knew it was a topic others were unlikely to focus on, and The National have been unrelenting in our coverage shining light on the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
We were told to arrive at BAE Systems shipyard in Govan at 9am, and were handed visitor passes and high-vis vests before we were taken into the sprawling complex.
I passed hundreds of workers in hard-hats waiting outside of a huge warehouse, waiting for Starmer to arrive, while we were escorted to a meeting room to wait to be taken to the press conference and speech.
READ MORE: Pro-independence party leaders urged to stand against genocide in Gaza
Just before 10am, we were taken into a warehouse where workers were standing, in typical Labour press conference style, in a circle around a lectern that read 'securing Britain's future'.
While waited, press officers repeatedly asked us to move out of the way from two TV screens behind us, that would act as an autocue for the PM when he finally spoke.
After 10 minutes where Starmer told how he wanted to turn the UK into a 'battle-ready armour-clad nation' and promised billions for nuclear weapons, we finally got to the press questions.
First, the UK-wide press got their shot - Chris Mason from the BBC led the questions, then Sky News' Beth Rigby, the only person who asked about Gaza.
(Image: PA) She asked if Starmer thought there was any 'concrete action' the UK could take.
'The situation is intolerable in Gaza and getting worse by the day, which is why we are working with allies to be clear in saying it's intolerable.
'Be absolutely clear of the need for a ceasefire, be absolutely clear that humanitarian aid can get in at speed and at volume because it is not getting in at the moment, causing absolute devastation and of course to continue our work to secure the release of hostages who have been held for a very, very long time.
'We're working closely with allies on that and will continue to do so.'
ITV, GB News and the I paper asked questions next, a slightly befuddled Starmer then told the room: 'Now I'm going to Scotland.'
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He seemed to have forgotten he was standing in a Govan shipyard, but took questions from BBC Scotland, STV, the Scottish Sun and the Courier.
The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election were top of the agenda, with Starmer insisting Labour were the only party who could beat the SNP, ignoring the Farage-elephant in the room.
And that was it, we were done. The full Scottish press lobby had turned out and only two newspapers were allowed a question.
I asked a press officer if there would be a huddle with the PM, as there usually is with politicians and print hacks.
'No, that's it,' I was told.
(Image: NQ staff) I was going to ask Starmer about his comments on LBC back in 2013, when he said Israel had the 'right' to withhold water and power from Palestinians.
Now that Palestinians are starving to death, and being shot and attacked while trying to reach humanitarian aid and food, I wanted to know if he had any remorse for those words.
I wanted to ask if he, as a former humanitarian lawyer, felt disgusted by what was happening in Gaza.
I wanted to ask him why his Government wasn't taking any action after more than 50,000 children had been injured or killed in Gaza since October 2023.
But, I didn't get the chance.