Senior Conservative Parliamentarians, including Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson Lord Soames, have urged the government to recognise a Palestinian state immediately.
In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer – also signed by notable MPs including former education secretary Kit Malthouse, Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh and former transport minister Sir John Hayes – the group urged the prime minister to “take the decisive and necessary step of formally recognising the State of Palestine”.
They claim: “[Given] the actions of the current Israeli government, which appears intent on annexing significant parts of the West Bank, we believe that the United Kingdom must act now to uphold international law and ensure that Palestinian statehood is secured on a firm legal basis.”
The signatories went on to say: “By failing to recognise Palestine, we send the dangerous message that Palestinian statehood is conditional, while Israeli territorial expansion continues unchecked. The longer we delay, the greater the risk that a two-state solution becomes permanently unachievable.”
In Parliament yesterday, Leigh pressed Middle East minister Hamish Falconer, who was giving MPs an update about the situation in the region, on the government’s position on recognising a Palestinian state.
He claimed: “Up to now, the excuse has been that we have to wait until negotiations are complete.
“There are no negotiations – all we have is extremist settlers trying to force out Palestinian people from their villages in the West Bank, which I have seen with my own eyes.”
In February, Leigh visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in a delegation organised by Yachad.
He continued: “In the name of God, why can we not give the Palestinian people some hope? Why can we not give them the same right to self-determination and recognise a Palestinian state now?”
Falconer responded by saying that “The problems the Palestinian people face at this moment are acute, immediate and practical,” adding: “We want to make a contribution to practically improving the lives of the Palestinian people, and we will view recognition in that light.”
The government’s longstanding position on recognising a Palestinian state, as set out in the Labour Party’s general election manifesto, described Palestinian statehood as “the inalienable right of the Palestinian people”.
“It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are 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”, it added.
Also in the chamber yesterday, Conservative MP Mark Pritchard expressed regret for his previous support for Israel.
“I condemn Israel for what it is doing to the Palestinian people in Gaza and the west bank. I withdraw my support right now for the actions of Israel and what it is doing right now in Gaza”, the MP for The Wrekin said.
“Of course the hostages should be released, of course Israel has a right to exist, and of course Israeli and Jewish people should have the right to live in peace, but so do the Palestinian people. I have said it before, and I will say it again: the life of a Palestinian child is as precious as the life of a Jewish child,” he went on.
Pritchard added that he was “really concerned that this is a moment in history on which people will look back and in which we have got it wrong as a country”, urging the government to “not just to follow the United States”, before concluding: “Let us stand up for life. Let us stand up for all children, not just Jewish children.”
Falconer described his speech as a “very powerful intervention”.
However, other Conservatives made interventions on the topic to voice outright support for Israel. Former Middle East minister Andrew Murrison said “that there cannot be any sustainable peace in the region or a viable Palestine without dealing with Hamas” and urged the government to clarify its “plan to achieve that… beyond pious rhetoric and hand-wringing”.
Falconer responded that Murrison was “right to focus on the central importance of removing Hamas from any position in Gaza where they could pose a threat, both to the Palestinian people and to Israeli civilians, who have suffered so terribly at their hands.”
He added that: “The answer is to remove Hamas and have the Palestinian Authority returned to their rightful place as the sole legitimate government authority for both the West Bank and Gaza.
Responding to Falconer’s statement from the Conservative frontbench, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said that: “Today is day 578 since the atrocities of October 7 and the capture of the hostages.
“Fifty-nine innocent hostages continue to be held in cruel captivity by Hamas, and those who are still alive have no access to aid or communication with their family.
She went on to say that “Iran and Hamas are to blame for events since 7 October” and that, “the immediate return of hostages would aid efforts to secure the ceasefire”.
