Independent MP leads push for formal UK recognition of Palestinian state

The independent MP for Leicester South, Shockat Adam, announced on Monday that he had submitted a  bill the the British government to officially recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. 

In a video statement, the 51-year-old lawmaker highlighted the urgency of supporting Palestinian rights as Israel's brutal war on Gaza continues.

The war has resulted in the deaths of at least 42,718 Palestinians, with 100,282 wounded over the past year, as well as the utter devastation of the Gaza Strip.

“As Israel has done everything in its capacity to destroy any chance of Palestinian statehood – through settlement, land theft, and now the wholesale decimation of Gaza – British recognition will serve to reinforce the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, which cannot be vetoed by Israel,” Adam wrote in a post on X. 

He confirmed that the Palestinian Statehood Recognition Bill will be debated in parliament on 29 November, adding that the bill has also garnered backing from MPs across the house. 

The bill is co-sponsored by the likes of Green Party MP Sian Berry, Labour MPs Ian Byrne and Kim Johnson, Scottish National Party (SNP) MPs Stephen Gethins and Brendan O’Hara, and Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts. 

His fellow peers from the pro-Gaza Independent Alliance - including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Adnan Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Iqbal Mohamed - are also sponsoring the bill. 

The stance on Israel and Palestine within the Conservative Party, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly pro-Israel, even among backbenchers. 

This has remained the case despite a rare instance of a more critical approach towards Israel earlier this year from former Foreign Secretary David Cameron.  

In January, Cameron hinted at the possibility of Britain recognising Palestine, signalling a shift from the traditionally pro-Israel position held by many within his party. 

Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously said that he supports recognising Palestine as a state, but only at the "right time", such as during a peace process with Israel.

As of June, the State of Palestine is recognised by 146 of the 193 member states of the UN, accounting for just over 75% of all UN members. 

Despite this widespread recognition, Palestine remains a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly, a status it has held since November 2012, due to the US using its veto power to block its accession as a full member at the UN Security Council.