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New Statesman
01-08-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Support for Palestine in Britain is not limited to Muslim voters
Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP 'By September, there will be nothing left to recognise.' These are the words of a right-wing Israeli journalist, posted in response to the British government's announcement that it would recognise Palestine as an independent state in September if Israel did not meet certain conditions, including agreeing a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was no less coy, accusing Keir Starmer of 'rewarding monstrous terrorism'. Dramatic language, but an alien sentiment to the median British voter, and indeed westerners, who, it seems, have an increasingly lost love for the Israeli state. Across Europe the voters' view of Israel has fallen to a new low. While a majority in every major European state agree that Israel was right to respond to the Hamas attacks of October 2023, the scale of its assault on Gaza has been disproportionate, and unforgiveable. At the start of this conflict I noted how, for the most part, Britons wanted no part in picking sides. That still holds. British enthusiasm for Israel is a minority view, and is falling with every passing month. British enthusiasm for Palestine is also minority view, but has strengthened, relatively, in recent months. But when it comes to the prospect of recognition, a plurality of voters now back recognising a Palestinian state. YouGov's latest poll on the issue finds almost half of Brits (45 per cent) back the stance set out by the UK government. Just 14 per cent are against it. The rest – a hefty 41 per cent – aren't quite so sure. Sympathy for Palestine is by no means limited to Britain's Muslim population. While it doesn't sit high as a voter motivating issue for many, the plurality view in a majority of constituencies now is that Palestinian statehood is a necessity. But where? I've taken the YouGov headline figures and applied them to a demographic and election forecast model I've built of Britain. It factors for religion, age, and voting intention. And it shows us that much of the enthusiasm for Palestinian statehood does come from the more built-up, urban areas of Britain. But it's also a little more widespread than that. Chester North backs a Palestinian state in plurality terms, while Liverpool Riverside backs it in absolute terms – almost six in ten. Neither hold significant Muslim populations. Meanwhile, 71 per cent of voters in Blackburn, a seat which saw a hefty Labour majority felled in favour of a so-called Gaza Independent in last summer's general election, backs recognising a Palestinian state outright. Clacton, Nigel Farage's own seat, isn't quite so sure. Because within the YouGov cross-breaks you find only 15 per cent of current Reform voters backing the idea of Palestinian statehood. Also worth noting is that 68 per cent of Green voters back recognising Palestine. These two findings from the more shoe-end parts of the horse-shoe parties in Britain today expose a persistent truth about UK public opinion. Reform, polling 30 per cent right now, does speak for a body of Britain that would rather stay out of anything and everything overseas. Less the successor party to Winston Churchill, Reform has become the poor-man's reboot of Neville Chamberlain-type indulgent isolationism. 'Not in my back yard? Not interested.' Whereas when it comes to Green voters, unsurprisingly a majority would back Palestinian statehood, but it is not absolute. The notion that Green supporters are all a bunch of activists is very much an online view. The Greens are not sloppy seconds for disgruntled Labour members. Their appeal speaks to a voter base in rural England, one that is not especially enthusiastic for Zack Polanski's eco-populism. The findings from this model projection tell us the following. Enthusiasm for a Palestinian state will, naturally, be concentrated in Muslim-majority areas – areas that gave Starmer's Labour outsized defeats in council and parliamentary elections. But there is a growing number of voters who believe that Palestinian statehood must be recognised in Merseyside, in County Cheshire, in Wrexham, in the Central Belt of Scotland and indeed, even in Home Counties England. [See also: How do we keep the lid on race-related violence?] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Scotsman
31-07-2025
- Scotsman
Chaos caused by North Sea cable break shows why we must act to stop Scottish islands being cut off
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In the Northern Isles, you are never so aware of the things you rely upon as when they are no longer there. That, I suspect, has been the rueful thought of many islanders in recent days after an undersea cable breakage last weekend. Whether it was the switchboard at the Balfour hospital in Kirkwall being knocked out, undertakers unable to operate, island airports facing delays, shops unable to process card payments or simply their internet or mobile connections at home, people have had a sharp reminder of how reliant we have become on these connections for our everyday needs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We cannot wind back the clock on our reliance on the internet. Now is the time for our governments to take notice and take action so that Scottish islands cannot be so easily cut off in future. Residents of Orkney and Shetland saw internet and other services disrupted after a cable linking the islands to the UK mainland was damaged (Picture: Adrian Dennis) | AFP via Getty Images Risk of a catastrophe Technological advances bring all sorts of improvements of efficiency, accessibility and opportunity that were not there before in the more 'far-flung' islands of Scotland just as much as anywhere else (who counts as far-flung being a matter of perspective of course). It is sometimes worth taking a look around, however, and recognising the risks of our communities relying too much on too few potential points of failure. After all, in some ways you could say that last week's cable cut was the 'best-case' scenario for disruption. Cable breakages in the summer are better than cable breakages in the winter, when storms and cold weather can turn a 'nuisance' into a 'catastrophe'. One constituent contacted me after the outage saying that her only way to get a signal and communicate with anyone was to stand outside her local community hall. That is irritating in the summer but far more problematic in the colder months. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Even in these warmer months, however, there are serious challenges. One islander wrote to me this week because her father, who recently had a stroke, has had no way to contact her should he have a fall, due to the connectivity disruption. Another has had to rely on the help of neighbours to submit a job application and prepare for an interview. Building up our defences What has come through in my inbox time and again from islanders is the poor communication of network providers and the inconsistency of their support for customers – a tale as familiar in Edinburgh as it is in Lerwick. Every part of the country should have the same expectation of reliable, well-reinforced communications (and energy) links – and it is in every part of this country's interest to build up these defences. After all, Britain may be a larger island than those in Orkney or Shetland but it is an island all the same. Many of the same risks to connectivity that apply north of the Pentland Firth apply to the UK as a whole – with far wider potential consequences. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All indications are that this latest cable cut was accidental, but after reports of Russia targeting undersea cables in the Baltic, we cannot be complacent about our own infrastructure. We have all grown to rely upon instant connections for so much of our economy and our society. We may not be prepared for what happens when those connections can no longer be taken for granted.
Middle East Eye
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Opinion: Recognition of a Palestinian state should not be a pawn in a diplomatic game
On 29 July, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long-term sustainable peace". Of course, any British recognition of the state of Palestine, if and when it happens, would mark a historic moment. Britain bears a unique responsibility as the author of the Balfour Declaration and the mandatory power in Palestine. If recognition does take place, it would reinforce the British government's stated support for a two-state solution, after decades of recognising only one state, Israel, while denying the other. It would chart a trajectory that rejects Israel's attempt to impose a one-state apartheid reality across the whole of historic Palestine. It would set the terms for any future peace process, in which the end goal must include a Palestinian state, reaffirming the British government's stated commitment to a two-state solution, as outlined in its announcement. So why were Palestinians and others not out on the streets celebrating the British government's announcement that emerged from an emergency recall of the cabinet? A protester displays a satirical sign targeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a demonstration in support of Gaza in London, 4 June 2025 (Adrian Dennis/AFP)
Newsweek
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch St. Louis City SC vs Aston Villa: Live Stream Men's Club Soccer Friendly, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. St. Louis City SC and Aston Villa are set to meet in a men's international club friendly on Wednesday. The match offers a rare opportunity for an MLS expansion club to test itself against a top-tier European opponent. Aston Villa's English striker #11 Ollie Watkins controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on May 3, 2025. Aston Villa's English striker #11 Ollie Watkins controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on May 3, 2025. Adrian Dennis / AFP How to Watch St. Louis City SC vs Aston Villa Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Time: 8:30 PM EDT Channel: FOX (KTVI-TV – St. Louis, MO) Stream: Fubo (watch now) With the MLS season in full swing, the match presents an interesting mid-week challenge for St. Louis and an opportunity to showcase rising stars such as Celio Pompeu and Nökkvi Thórisson. Aston Villa, meanwhile, is deep into its preseason preparations ahead of another Premier League campaign. The team finished fourth in the 2024-25 EPL season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Villa's roster is headlined by the likes of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, and Douglas Luiz. The trip to Missouri and other parts of the United States this summer is part of Villa's U.S. summer tour, which provides critical minutes for both veterans and young players alike. Fubo is a great service for watching soccer matches from around the world. You can watch select games from leagues such as the Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga, MLS, and Liga MX, as well as numerous international competitions. Live stream St. Louis City SC vs Aston Villa on Fubo: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
IOL News
11-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Crystal Palace demoted to UEFA Conference League for multi-club breach
Bad news for Palace Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi lifts the FA Cup trophy after they beat Manchester City in Saturday's final at Wembley Stadium in London. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP Crystal Palace have been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League by UEFA for a breach of multi-club ownership rules, European football's governing body confirmed on Friday. US businessman John Textor owns a stake in the Eagles and is the majority owner of French club Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League. Under UEFA multi-club ownership rules, Lyon have been allowed to keep their place in the second-tier competition of European football as they finished higher in Ligue 1 (6th) than Palace (12th) in the Premier League last season. Palace qualified for European competition for the first time by winning the FA Cup in May - the club's first ever major trophy.
