UK's Starmer faces Palestine test as Lib Dems call for immediate statehood recognition

New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a test on Palestine after an opposition political party called for the government to proceed with recognising the Middle Eastern country as a state.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran, a British-Palestinian MP, wrote this week to Starmer's foreign secretary, David Lammy, calling for the government to immediately and unconditionally recognise the state of Palestine.

It comes after five pro-Palestinian independents, including Jeremy Corbyn – who led the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 – won seats at the UK general election last week.

"140 countries have already taken the step to recognise Palestine. If the UK were to join them, it would send a powerful message to the Israeli government in line with international law, just as many in the Israeli civil society have advocated," Moran said in her letter.

"And it would send an equally powerful message to Palestinians that we are prepared to honour our historical obligations to the region."

Moran's party is the third largest in the UK House of Commons after winning 72 seats at the general election last week.

In its manifesto for the election, the now-ruling Labour Party said Palestinian statehood was an "inalienable right" and "not in the gift of any neighbour".

"We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state," the manifesto added.

A journalist asked Starmer at a NATO military alliance summit in the US whether he would consider "moving on recognition" without the United States or Israel.

Starmer said "we should all work on" a political process towards a two-state solution with a "viable" Palestinian state and a "safe and secure" Israel.

"We've been discussing it with colleagues here in bilaterals," he said, referring to two-way talks with other countries.

"And recognising Palestine as part of that process – and part of that process is important, rather than at the end of the process.

"So far as our policy is concerned, I'll determine our policy. [I'm] not following anyone else."