Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza: The total number of Palestinians killed due to famine and malnutrition has risen to 313, including 119 children
Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip: 10 people, including two children, have died of starvation in the past 24 hours
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: US envoy Tom Barrack cancels his visit to Tyre and al-Khiam amid popular protests
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the southern border town of Kfar Kila
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.

Labour MPs push for UK recognition of Palestine at UN conference

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 24 May 2025 13:08
  • 4 Shares
4 Min Read

As global momentum for Palestinian recognition builds, France signals openness while the UK weighs its next move.

Listen
  • x
  • Labour Party leader Keir Starmer shakes hands with his supporters at the Tate Modern in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP)
    Labour Party leader Keir Starmer shakes hands with his supporters at the Tate Modern in London, Friday, July 5, 2024 (AP)

Senior Labour politicians are intensifying calls for the UK government to formally recognize a Palestinian state during a high-level UN "two-state solution" conference set for mid-June, The Guardian reported.

They argued that such a move would demonstrate moral leadership and serve as a meaningful step toward peace amid escalating regional instability.

Veteran Labour peer Alf Dubs said recognition would offer Palestinians “the self-respect they’d have if they had a proper state,” bolstering their position in future negotiations. “Even if it doesn’t lead to anything immediately, it would still give Palestinians a better standing,” he said. “Symbols matter".

Former cabinet minister Peter Hain echoed the sentiment, warning that waiting for a negotiated outcome before acting “simply allows ‘Israel’s’ illegal occupation to become permanent.” Recognition, he argued, should be “a catalyst, not a consequence” of negotiations.

Labour’s message aligns with broader international sentiment. At a preparatory meeting in New York, Saudi Arabia stressed that recognition must be seen as a prerequisite for peace, not a post-war gesture. The upcoming UN conference, scheduled for 17–20 June, is expected to bring fresh momentum for countries like the UK and France to move beyond rhetoric and take tangible diplomatic steps.

France signals openness, UK remains cautious

Related News

Corbyn to Al Mayadeen: New party to fight for justice and Palestine

Heatwave politics: Could air conditioning become a UK election issue?

French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that France may formally extend Palestinian statehood recognition, potentially joining the 147 countries that have already done so. However, Macron has signalled a preference to do so within a broader, coordinated UN framework.

On his part, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that he has discussed the issue with French officials but cautioned against what he called “a gesture with no practical impact.” The UK maintains its position that it will recognize a Palestinian state “at the point of maximum impact.” According to The Guardian, the UK government believes France may ultimately choose not to proceed in June.

Within the Labour Party, internal pressure is also growing. Sixty-nine MPs and six peers recently signed a joint letter urging the prime minister to act during what they described as a “unique window of opportunity” to recognize Palestine. The letter, organized by Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East chairs Sarah Owen and Andrew Pakes, reportedly includes support from several current ministers, underscoring growing Labour support for Palestine.

UN conference seen as turning point

France and Saudi Arabia, co-chairs of the June conference, have stated that the meeting is not intended to relaunch an open-ended peace process, but rather to implement, once and for all, the "two-state solution". A concept note from the organizers stresses the urgency amid continued Israeli settlement expansion, incitement assaults, and efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians.

The conference will include eight working groups focused on mapping practical steps toward implementation. Participating states will be asked to outline specific actions they are willing to undertake to help realize peace and meet their international responsibilities.

Time has come for Britain to 'show principled leadership'

Labour MP Alex Ballinger, a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said the time has come for Britain to “show principled leadership,” adding, “We can no longer speak in platitudes about two states while blocking the very steps that could help make one of them real.”

Afzal Khan, a former shadow minister and long-time advocate for Palestinian rights, echoed the call. “Recognition would now be a positive first step toward securing a peaceful two-state solution, ending unlawful settlement expansions and blockades, and unlocking the diplomatic and humanitarian pathways to lasting justice,” he said. He warned that the UK risks falling behind while the rest of the world takes action.

As the UN conference approaches, pressure is mounting on the UK to match its rhetoric with action and formally back UK recognition of a Palestinian state as a necessary and overdue move toward peace.

Read next: 'Israel' blocks French visit amid Macron’s Palestine recognition push

  • Labour Party
  • Palestine
  • palestinian state
  • United Kingdom
  • Palestinian cause
  • European Union

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

The ‘Arab Façade’ for Israeli occupation in Gaza

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A scene showing an al-Qassam Brigades fighter during an ambush on July 7, 2025, in a video released by the al-Qassam Brigades on August 26, 2025 (al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)
Politics

Al-Qassam reveals Beit Hanoun ambush targeting Israeli forces

A Palestinian youth stands on a hill overlooking IsraelI Ofer Prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP)
Politics

77 Palestinian prisoners killed in Israeli prisons since October 7

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during a joint press conference with US deputy special envoy for Middle East peace Morgan Ortagus at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy Barrack calls Lebanese journalists 'animalistic"'

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)
Politics

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS