More than 220 British MPs urge Starmer to recognise Palestinian state

More than 220 British MPs, including dozens from the ruling Labour party, demanded Friday that the UK government formally recognise a Palestinian state, further increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine UK political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting in September.

France would be the first G7 country -- and the most powerful European nation to date -- to make the move, already drawing condemnation from Israel and the United States.

Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the ongoing war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there.

"We urge you to officially recognise the state of Palestine at the Conference next week," the 221 UK lawmakers wrote in the joint letter, referring to a July 28-29 UN Conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in New York.

"Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact," it said.

The signatories, from parties including the centre-right Conservatives and centrist Liberal Democrats, as well as regional parties in Scotland and Wales, cited Britain's "historic connections and our membership on the UN Security Council".

They also noted the country's role in helping to create the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

"Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people," they added.

In the face of growing pressure on the issue, the UK government has maintained its longstanding stance that it supports a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East.

But it has insisted that the conditions are currently not right for formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

In a statement Friday following a call about Gaza with his counterparts in France and Germany, Starmer said he was "working on a pathway to peace in the region".

"Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan," he added.

A number of factors could deter Starmer from making the move, including wanting to avoid angering US President Donald Trump.

The American leader, who lands later Friday in Scotland for a five-day visit, dismissed Macron's announcement before departing Washington, saying it "doesn't carry weight".

The pressure around recognising Palestinian statehood has been building on Starmer's government, with nearly 60 Labour MPs reportedly urging Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make the move in a private letter earlier in July.

Meanwhile Macron raised the issue during his UK state visit this month, publicly urging London to work with Paris on a formal recognition announcement.

Agence France-Presse