You report that Keir Starmer is under pressure from cabinet ministers to recognise Palestinian statehood (22 July). Should not the cabinet be reminded that in October 2014 parliament overwhelmingly passed a motion calling on the government to recognise the state of Palestine?
The vote – 274 in favour, 12 against – reflected strong parliamentary support across party lines. While the motion was non‑binding, it sent a clear political message that the majority of elected representatives supported Palestinian statehood. Ever since then, every prime minister has refused to implement that decision of parliament, generally saying that the time was not yet right.
Surely now is the time for the prime minister to finally act.
Anthony Milton
Emeritus professor, University of Aberdeen; senior member, Robinson College, Cambridge
• I think the Guardian should emblazon the last paragraph of Nick Maynard’s article across the cover of tomorrow’s Guardian so that everyone who enters a newsagent will be drawn to read it (I’m witnessing the deliberate starvation of Gaza’s children – why is the world letting it happen?, 22 July).
What more needs to happen beyond deliberate killing, enforced malnutrition and starving children for Keir Starmer to take immediate action? As Maynard rightly says: “History will judge not just those who committed these crimes, but those who stood by and watched”, and this is what we are doing, every night watching the news.
Liz Byrne
Letchworth, Hertfordshire
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