It is understood that the prime minister will discuss the matter of recognising a Palestinian state
Prime minister Keir Starmer has called a rare recess cabinet meeting this afternoon to discuss the crisis in Gaza and the possibility of formally recognising a Palestinian state.
This comes after President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France would recognise a Palestinian state from September.
There is mounting pressure on Starmer to do the same, as the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, and the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has issued an alert saying “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip”.
Cabinet ministers including the foreign secretary David Lammy, Ed Miliband, the Energy secretary, Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary and Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary are putting pressure on Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Over the weekend, Starmer had a call with Macron and the German chancellor Friedrich Merz had a call to discuss a peace plan for Gaza, as well as immediate measures to lift all restrictions on aid. He also spoke to Donald Trump about the peace plan yesterday.
As Starmer’s meeting with ministers takes place, Palestine Solidarity Campaign activists were outside Downing Street banging pots and pans in protest against the famine that Israel is using to kill Palestinians.
BBC political correspondent Harry Farley, has been at Downing Street reporting on the emergency cabinet meeting. So far, he has said that “we haven’t seen any cabinet ministers walking up the street so the assumption is most are joining remotely”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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