MP explains call for UK to recognise Palestine

Labour MP Julia Buckley is among 220 signatories calling for the UK to recognise a Palestinian state

A Labour MP who signed a cross-party letter demanding the government recognise Palestine as a state, has said the situation in Gaza is an "atrocity" which "cannot be allowed to continue".

Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, is among some 220 MPs from nine political parties to have backed the call.

"We are witnessing deliberate blockades, targeted destruction of food supplies, and the starvation of civilians; acts that shock the conscience and demand urgent and significant accountability," she said.

In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer said recognising Palestinian statehood would have to be part of a "wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution".

The letter has been signed by 131 Labour MPs, including senior figures like former minister Liam Byrne and committee chair Ruth Cadbury.

While recognition alone would not end the suffering in Gaza, "British recognition of Palestine would be particularly powerful" given its history in the region, the MPs say.

It comes after the UK and 27 other countries condemned the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians" seeking food and water in Gaza.

Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into the Palestinian territory, has repeatedly said that there is no siege and blames Hamas for cases of malnutrition.

Buckley became Shrewsbury's first female MP, when she won the seat for Labour in the 2024 general election.

She posted on her Facebook site that she regularly responds directly to constituents who had contacted her about the issue.

But she added: "I believe it is important, as with any matter of such gravity, that all residents are aware of where I stand as an elected representative."

She said the letter aimed to "remind the Prime Minister of the previous parliament's overwhelming support" for recognising Palestine.

The MP also said "the UK will be under international scrutiny to update its position" at a UN conference on Monday.

In his statement, Sir Keir said: "Alongside our closest allies, I am working on a pathway to peace in the region, focused on the practical solutions that will make a real difference to the lives of those that are suffering in this war.

"That pathway will set out the concrete steps needed to turn the ceasefire so desperately needed, into a lasting peace.

On Friday, Sir Keir said the government would "pull every lever" to get food and life saving support to Palestinians, and evacuate children "who need urgent medical assistance".