Latest news with #SirKeirStarmer
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘A Palestinian state promises to be oppressive, corrupt and radicalised'
Sir Keir Starmer has announced his plan for the UK to officially recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets a number of conditions. The Prime Minister laid out these terms in a speech at Downing Street. They include Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a two-state solution. In a Telegraph poll, readers were overwhelmingly opposed to the decision, with 86 per cent of over 50,000 voters saying Palestine should not be recognised. Toby Roberts, a Telegraph reader, is stringently opposed to the idea of a Palestinian state, saying: 'There is no evidence the Palestinians are capable of establishing and running a viable state, and a great deal of evidence to suggest that they are not. 'A Palestinian state promises to be oppressive, corrupt, impoverished, aid-dependent, resentful, radicalised, and riven by vicious internal factionalism.' He concludes that it is 'a mystery to me how anyone can think that such an outcome would be in the interests of the neighbouring Arab states or the West'. Margaret Northey, another reader, says Hamas does not want a two-state solution and, as a result of Sir Keir's announcement, 'Hamas will now have even more reason not to agree to a ceasefire'. John Culley echoes this sentiment, expressing dismay that conditions have been imposed on Israel but not on Hamas: 'If we are going to recognise Palestine, surely the conditionality should be aimed at the Palestinians, what about releasing the hostages and Hamas surrendering and/or dissolving itself. 'The current conditional approach still gives the Israeli's a partial veto over the process and incentivises Hamas to try and provoke Israel. It is absolutely bonkers diplomacy.' Nancy Brooks remarks that she thought the report of Sir Keir's announcement must be 'incomplete' as no demand was made that the remaining hostages be released, adding: 'Clearly, a 'solution' is not what this is about, entirely a vote-gathering exercise. Shame on him.' Another reader agrees that the announcement was intended for a domestic as well as international audience: 'Starmer's focus on Gaza is an indication of where power and influence now lies in the Labour Party and the organs of government. 'His pronouncement had nothing to do with peace, justice, morality, or ending the war. It was a piece of theatre pandering to Labour's shrinking voter base; gesture politics of the most shameless kind.' 'The only solution is a two-state one' A minority of Telegraph readers sought to make the case in support of the Prime Minister's announcement, with one saluting Sir Keir for having 'the leadership to stand up to bullying and intimidation from Trump and Netanyahu'. Hedley Smith argues that the announcement did not reward Hamas and 'you either recognise a state out of principle or you don't', adding: 'The conditions of statehood are either met or they are not: it shouldn't be conditional and used like a bargaining chip. I think they should have been a state a long time ago and I don't believe that right can be bargained away.' Nik Hill and Jennifer Morris both take a historical view when it came to arguing in favour of recognising Palestinian statehood. Nik said: 'The UN called for an independent Palestine and Israel to be recognised back in 1947. It's about time it actually happened. 'That's not rewarding Hamas (no Hamas in the West Bank for example). It's simply accepting that the only solution is a two-state one.' Jennifer concurred and cited the Balfour Declaration of 1917 that expressed British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine but also that the rights of the existing inhabitants would be protected. She says that no government 'stepped in as Israel took more land for their settlements' and that 'it is time to do the right thing' for the Palestinians. 'The Arab world gets it. Starmer doesn't' Many readers also compared and contrasted the reaction of the British state with that of the Arab world. Soon after Sir Keir's announcement, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for Hamas to surrender control of Gaza and disarm. Natalie Brooks writes that the Prime Minister's ultimatum to Israel 'has proven to be as ineffectual and meaningless as he is… even Arab nations are suggesting Hamas needs to come to the table'. Other readers weigh in: 'You couldn't make it up! Arab nations insist that Hamas surrenders, while the British Prime Minister (unintentionally, no doubt) offers it encouragement to continue! The Arab world gets it. Starmer doesn't.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Top lawyers warn Keir Starmer his pledge to recognise a Palestinian state risks breaking international law as PM continues to face furious backlash
Sir Keir Starmer 's pledge to recognise a Palestinian state risks breaking international law, some of Britain's top lawyers have warned. A group of 38 members of the House of Lords, including some of the UK's most eminent lawyers, issued the alert in a letter to Attorney General Lord Hermer. They said the Prime Minister's pledge to recognise Palestine within weeks, which he announced on Tuesday, may breach international law. This is because the territory may not meet the criteria for statehood under the Montevideo Convention, a treaty signed in 1933. The peers said Palestine 'does not meet the international law criteria for recognition of a state, namely, defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states'. There is no certainty over the borders of Palestine they said, and no single government, as Hamas and Fatah are enemies. Lord Hermer has previously insisted that a commitment to international law 'goes absolutely to the heart' of the Government's approach to foreign policy. Sir Keir has sparked a furious backlash by saying Britain could recognise Palestinian statehood in September, ahead of the UN General Assembly. The UK will only refrain from doing so if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months. Hamas must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and 'accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza', Sir Keir also said. A British-Israeli woman, who was held hostage by Hamas for a year, yesterday blasted the PM for 'emboldening' the terror group by moving to recognise Palestine. Emily Damari, who spent 471 days in Hamas captivity, accused Sir Keir of 'moral failure' and claimed he is 'not standing on the right side of history'. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the UK's action 'rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism'. In their letter to Lord Hermer, first reported by The Times, the peers added: 'You have said that a selective, 'pick and mix' approach to international law will lead to its disintegration, and that the criteria set out in international law should not be manipulated for reasons of political expedience. 'Accordingly, we expect you to demonstrate this commitment by explaining to the public and to the Government that recognition of Palestine would be contrary to the principles governing recognition of states in international law.' Among the respected lawyers to have signed the letter are Lord Pannick - who represented the previous government at the Supreme Court over its Rwanda scheme - as well as KCs Lord Verdirame and Lord Faulks. Some of Parliament's most prominent Jewish voices, including crossbench peer Baroness Deech, Labour's Lord Winston and the Conservatives' Baroness Altmann, have also put their name to the letter. Former Conservative cabinet ministers Lord Pickles and Lord Lansley have also supported it, as has Sir Michael Ellis KC, a former Conservative attorney general and the only non-peer whose name appears on the letter. Government minister Gareth Thomas this morning insisted UK recognition of Palestine would be compliant with international law. He told Times Radio: 'We haven't signed up to the Montevideo Convention, but is there a clear population in in Palestine? Yes, there is in Gaza and the West Bank. 'We have made clear that we think you would recognise the state of Palestine, and that state of Palestine would be based on the 1967 borders. 'Of course, there would have to be land swaps and there would be a shared capital of Jerusalem. They are well-regarded international views. 'As I say, 140 other countries have already recognised the state of Palestine. 'The PM was in talks this week with a series of countries, including Canada, and Canada have overnight, as you will have seen, taken the decision to recognise Palestine in September.' Mr Thomas, a business minister, added the Government had 'made clear that there needs to be reform to the Palestinian Authority, that Hamas can have no role in the future government of Gaza and Palestine more generally'.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Keir Starmer shares Europe-led Gaza peace plan with Donald Trump
Sir Keir Starmer has presented a European-led peace plan for Gaza to Donald Trump, during a meeting in Scotland with the US follows a call with leaders of France and Germany over the weekend after US-led peace talks broke down last week, Downing Street emergency UK cabinet meeting will be held this week to discuss the plans as well as aid efforts in Gaza, after warnings of mass starvation in the comes amid renewed international and domestic pressure on the prime minister to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. Downing Street has not given details of the peace plan, promising the "next steps" would be set out after this week's cabinet meeting, a date for which is yet to be earlier, a spokesman for Sir Keir said the proposals would also be presented to allies, including Arab states, over the coming days. In an article over the weekend, the prime minister likened the plans to the proposed "coalition of the willing" to support any potential deal to end the war in comes after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, with Trump saying Hamas "didn't really want to make a deal" and Israel saying it would "alternative options" to free Monday, Sir Keir's spokesman said the UK, France and Germany were working on proposals to "deliver immediate relief to those on the ground".The plans "build on the collaboration to date" between the three countries and would also "set out a pathway to peace and a sustainable route to a two-state solution," the spokesman added. However, Trump suggested that getting aid into Gaza is his focus, before discussing future peace plans."Before we get to phase two, which is what's going to happen afterwards, we want to get the children fed," he told reporters during his meeting with Starmer. MP Palestine pressure Sir Keir's spokesman also told reporters the Palestinian right to statehood was "inalienable", and it was a "question of when, not if" the UK will agree to recognition. It comes after 255 MPs signed a letter calling for the government to immediately recognise Palestine as a state - up from 221 on includes 147 Labour MPs - more than half the party's letter came after President Macron announced France intends to recognise Palestinian statehood in the coming months. At a press conference at Trump Turnberry, both Trump and Sir Keir agreed on the need for more aid to into World Health Organization (WHO) has warned malnutrition in Gaze has reached "alarming levels", with rates on a "dangerous trajectory", as aid airdrops resumed in the joined a weekend aid drop into Gaza, flying supplies in through Jordan as Israel paused its military announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, and open secure routes for aid ahead of his meeting with Trump, Sir Keir described "images of starving children" in Gaza as "revolting".At the meeting, both leaders "agreed that urgent action was needed to bring an end to the suffering" in Gaza, Downing Street said. 'Unpredictable' Trump Going into the meeting, Trump suggested the US would set up new food centres in Gaza without fences, after almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while waiting for food under the current US-led president blamed Hamas for stalling peace talks, saying the group had become "very difficult to deal with" and accusing it of stealing aid from Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey warned the prime minister against accepting "warm words" from an "unpredictable" US president. "In both Ukraine and the Middle East the situation is utterly intolerable, and the prime minister needs to work with our allies to put a proper plan in place, so that we can lead even if Donald Trump continues to refuse to act," Sir Ed said. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken least 59,821 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump to cut Ukraine ceasefire deadline during meeting with Starmer
Donald Trump met Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland and indicated he would bring forward the deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump expressed significant disappointment with Vladimir Putin's decision to continue air strikes against civilian targets, citing incidents in Kyiv. He previously set a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire, threatening tariffs, but now plans to reduce this timeframe. Discussions between Trump and Sir Keir are expected to cover ceasefire efforts in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, and progress on the UK-US trade deal. The conflict in Ukraine persists, with recent Russian drone and missile strikes reported in the Sumy region and Russian claims of shooting down Ukrainian drones near St Petersburg.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctors strikes will be banned under the Tories like police and prison officers, vows Kemi Badenoch
Doctors strikes will be banned under a Conservative government in the same way as police and prison officers, Kemi Badenoch has vowed. The Tory party leader today announced she would amend the law to bar the protests as she insisted the British Medical Association (BMA) is 'out of control'. It comes following 11 strikes in the past 18 months which Ms Badenoch said had resulted in patients dying. Her comments were made on GB News amid the ongoing five-day series of strikes by resident doctors in support of a pay claim. Urging Sir Keir Starmer to take similar action, Ms Badenoch said: 'The BMA has become militant, these strikes are going too far, and it is time for action. 'Doctors do incredibly important work. Medicine is a vocation – not just a job. That is why in government we offered a fair deal that supported doctors, but protected taxpayers too. 'These strikes will have a significant economic effect, but they will also mean cancelled operations, worry for families of the sick, and suffering for those who are unwell. We know that previous strike action by doctors even led to some patients losing their lives. 'That is why Conservatives are stepping in, and setting out common sense proposals to protect patients, and the public finances. And we are making an offer in the national interest – we will work with the Government to face down the BMA to help protect patients and the NHS.' Doctors hold lives in their hands. No one should lose critical healthcare because of strikes but that's what's happening now. That's why a Conservative government led by me would ban doctors' strikes, just like we do the army and police. — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) July 27, 2025 Police, the military and prison officers are banned from taking strike action under the 1992 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act. The Conservatives would amend this to include doctors. Action short of a strike such as working to rule and banning overtime would still be permitted - with doctors remaining able to unionise through the BMA, like the police, which has the police federation to represent members' interests. Minimum service levels have also been proposed by the Conservatives, which would aim to ensure a basic service provision in not just healthcare but other essential sectors like education and transport. The party has argued proposed changes would bring the UK in line with other nations such as Australia and Canada who have tighter restrictions on doctors strikes, as well as European nations like Greece, Italy and Portugal that have minimum service levels laws in place across their health services. Under Australia's Fair Work Act 2009, the Fair Work Commission is required to suspend or terminate strike action that endangers the safety, health or welfare of the population. Attempts to block doctors' strike action are likely to be challenged in the courts, specifically under Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Police officers have been banned from taking strike action since 1919 when the Police Act made it a criminal offence and all armed forces members are bound by the King's Regulations which make unionisation illegal. The Conservatives' proposed primary legislation would restrict the ability of for doctors at all levels to engage in strike action as regulated by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. This would be done through exempting doctors from the part of the act that gives the right to strike. The Conservatives said they will also look at introducing back-to-work orders in a similar vein to other European countries. Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Health Secretary, said: 'The Conservative Party has always respected the important work that healthcare professionals do, but enough is enough. 'The BMA has taken our NHS hostage and used this Labour Government's weakness to demand more and more – with taxpayers and patients left to suffer the consequences. 'As our health service faces yet another round of damaging strike action, the Conservatives are calling time. If Labour were serious about cutting waiting lists and delivering the health system our country deserves, rather than just kowtowing to the unions, they would back our plans.'
