Labour willing to bypass US to recognise Palestine

Foreign secretary front-runner David Lammy reaffirms party's commitment to statehood recognition

Protesters march in support of Palestinians during a demonstration in Westminster, central London. Reuters

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A Labour government would recognise Palestine without US consent, the party’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said.

Labour has promised to recognise a Palestinian state once a ceasefire in Gaza is in place and a peace process begins, as part of its general election manifesto.

But doubt was cast on this pledge after a report suggested party leader Keir Starmer could seek to avoid a disagreement with the US on the issue.

However, on Friday Mr Lammy reaffirmed Labour's commitment to statehood recognition and insisted “no country has a veto” over the UK’s future acknowledgement of Palestine.

“Labour is committed to recognising Palestine as a contribution to a peace process and the ultimate goal of two states,” he wrote on social media.

“No country has a veto over UK recognition. The sooner we get a ceasefire, the quicker a political process can begin in which Labour would recognise Palestine.”

The report in The Times said Mr Starmer’s allies have advised Labour not to rush into any such move, as it would isolate Britain from its major allies cause a rift with US President Joe Biden.

Almost half of the UK voting public want to see the next government recognise a Palestinian state, with support for the move running at five to one among Labour Party supporters, an opinion poll by The National found this week.

The Deltapoll survey of more than 2,000 adults, carried out between Monday and Wednesday, also found a third of respondents said the war in Gaza will play a role in determining which party they would vote for in the election next Thursday.

"In an increasingly diverse, sometimes polarised atmosphere, you’ve got to find the common ground. Diplomacy is about finding the common ground," said Mr Lammy, the front-runner to become UK foreign secretary after the election.

Labour has faced criticism over its stance on the Israel-Gaza war, since Mr Starmer appeared to endorse Israel cutting off food and water supplies to Gaza.

Independent candidates running on a pro-Palestinian ticket emerged in the run-up to the election to challenge Labour.

Veteran South African politician Andrew Feinstein is running against Mr Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras, and British-Palestinian Leanne Mohamad is hoping to unseat senior Labour figure Wes Streeting in Ilford North.

Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood faces a challenge from lawyer Akhmed Yakhoob in Birmingham, where there is a large Muslim population disillusioned by Labour's stance on Gaza.

Labour's manifesto pledge of recognition "as part of a peace process" was seen in some quarters as an attempt to appease critics from left of the party.

Former British diplomats have called on the UK to recognise a Palestinian state regardless of whether a political process was under way, arguing Israel would not be forthcoming in relations with Palestine in a government led by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state in June.