Pro-Palestinian supporters disrupt speech by David Lammy

A speech by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has been disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Ten minutes into his address at the Fabian Society conference on foreign policy in London, a woman climbed on stage carrying a Palestinian flag.

Other protestors soon joined in, with video showing one man telling Mr Lammy "you have blood on your hands".

The Free Palestine Coalition later said its activists had infiltrated the event to "call out" Labour's stance on Gaza.

Sir Keir Starmer, the party's leader, was criticised by some at the start of the war for refusing to call for a full ceasefire.

He instead backed calls for pauses in the conflict to deliver aid, saying in October that he understood calls for a ceasefire in Gaza but that this was not the "correct position" at the time.

Mr Lammy's speech on Saturday was paused multiple times by at least five demonstrators, all criticising Labour's response to the war between Hamas and Israel.

After the first woman was removed by security for mounting the stage, another then did the same. Once she was gone, a man stood up and shouted from the crowd.

Another two demonstrators then stood up and shouted from their seats.

After briefly being taken backstage, Mr Lammy reappeared and said he wanted "change through power, not protest".

"We all want to see a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza," he told the crowd, after joking that they need not worry. "I was born in Tottenham," he joked.

• I understand calls for Gaza ceasefire - Starmer

• Starmer suffers major rebellion over Gaza vote

• Netanyahu publicly rejects US push for Palestinian state

The Free Palestine Coalition said in a statement that some of its members had infiltrated the event to "call out" Mr Lammy and his party.

"It is difficult to see how Lammy is upholding any commitment to human rights or international law as we enter into the 106th day of Israel's unrelenting assault on Gaza," the group said.

After initially refraining from calling for a ceasefire, Labour has hardened its position on the conflict.

The speech was interrupted three times by pro-Palestinian protesters

In his speech, Mr Lammy went on to express support for a Palestinian state when the war ends and branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of this morally and practically "wrong".

"The Israeli government must immediately change their approach," the shadow foreign secretary told the conference. "From the pain and despair, new will and a new political process must emerge to make two states a reality."

The incident came after Mr Lammy insisted earlier on Saturday that Labour would go ahead with its £28bn green investment plan if it wins the next general election.

Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Lammy said it was a commitment voters could trust Labour to uphold.

When pressed, he added that Labour would not disregard "the economic climate" and that plans must be "within our fiscal rules", adding he did not "quite know" what economic state Labour would be "inheriting".

Labour first announced plans in 2021 to spend £28bn a year until 2030 on green projects like offshore wind farms and developing batteries for electric vehicles if it won a general election in 2024.

But last June, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves watered down the target, saying the party would invest over time if they won a general election in 2024 - reaching £28bn a year after 2027.

The Conservatives have sought to use the policy to attack Labour's economic credibility, claiming it is unaffordable and would mean taxes would have to increase.