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Keir Starmer says the UK will recognise the State of Palestine — but only in September, and only if Israel meets a list of conditions.

There’s just one problem: Labour’s own 2024 manifesto says otherwise.

Thanks to a sharp-eyed Vox Political reader, we’re reminded that page 124 of the Labour Party’s most recent manifesto says this:

“Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour.”

The manifesto continues:

“We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process…”

Let’s break that down:

• “Inalienable right” means not conditional.

• “Not in the gift of any neighbour” means Israel doesn’t get a veto.

• “Committed to recognising” is a promise — not a threat based on a ceasefire.

And yet, Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy are now saying that recognition will only happen if Israel meets a list of preconditions — including halting its destruction of Gaza and recommitting to a two-state solution, something Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has already rejected outright.

So which is it, Prime Minister?

Is Palestinian statehood an “inalienable right” — or a diplomatic bargaining chip?

Labour told voters in 2024 it would recognise Palestine as a matter of principle.

Now it’s treating recognition as a stick to wave at Israel, then quietly withdraw if Netanyahu plays nice.

That’s not just cowardly – it’s a direct betrayal of Labour’s own words — and of the people who voted for that party.

This is what happens when leadership ignores policy

Starmer didn’t write the 2024 manifesto in a vacuum.

It was the product of months of internal debate and negotiation — and it reflected the view of a party trying to reclaim credibility on the world stage.

Now, just over a year later, that policy is being openly contradicted by a prime minister who thinks statehood is something Palestinians must earn through Israeli compliance.

It’s a disgrace — and Labour members and voters have every right to demand accountability.

Meanwhile, in Gaza…

An Israeli thug shot and killed an 11-year-old boy who had walked 12km to the ‘Aid Trap’ – controlled by Israeli and US forces – in search of food for his mother and brothers. The boy had received a package of aid and had been walking home peacefully.

So much for the so-called ceasefire.

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