A LABOUR minister dodged questions on when the UK will recognise a Palestinian state as the Government comes under increasing pressure to follow France’s lead.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was asked on Sky News whether the Government would recognise Palestinian statehood in this parliament.
Reynolds said Labour would, “if it delivers the breakthrough that we need”, which has long been the party's position.
The state of Palestine is recognised by 147 of the 193 members of the United Nations, but the UK is not one of them.
Last week it was confirmed by Emmanuel Macron that France will officially recognise Palestine as a state in September.
Reynolds told Sky News that ministers "want to" and "will" recognise Palestine.
But he then said: "The question is, how can we use that in a way that gives a genuine breakthrough to a real peaceful process?
“I know many countries around the world have already done this. To be frank, to be candid, it hasn't stopped the appalling scenes that we're talking about this morning."
Asked whether Palestine would be recognised in this parliament, Reynolds appeared to skirt around the question saying: "In this parliament, yes. I mean, if it delivers the breakthrough that we need.
The UK government will recognise a Palestinian state "in this parliament", Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has told Sky News. Asked about timeline, he told @WilfredFrost: "In this parliament, yes. I mean, if it delivers the breakthrough that we need. "But don't forget, we… pic.twitter.com/13XuADNNKM
— Ben Bloch (@realBenBloch) July 28, 2025
“But don't forget, we can only do this once. If we do it in a way which is tokenistic, doesn't produce the end to this conflict, where do we go to next?"
Reynolds has also dismissed the idea that there is a split at the top of Government over when to recognise a Palestinian state, and denied on Good Morning Britain that it would be another U-turn from Keir Starmer if he proceeded with recognition.
Speaking to GMB, he said: “There’s no split. The whole of the Labour Party, every Labour MP, was elected on a manifesto of recognition of a Palestinian state, and we all want it to happen.
“It is a case of when, not if.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is among those to have signalled a desire for hastened action calling for recognition “while there’s still a state of [[Palestine]] left to recognise”.
'Are you saying that is not another u-turn from Keir Starmer?' @edballs questions Jonathan Reynolds MP on whether the UK will recognise a Palestinian state alongside France amid a Labour split in opinion. pic.twitter.com/tjsnjYZdWv
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 28, 2025
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also posted a video on social media last week calling for recognition to happen “immediately”.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state “in contribution to a peace process”.
More than 250 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, LibDems, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents have signed a letter pressuring the Government to recognise Palestine at a UN conference this week. The majority of those who have signed are Labour MPs.
The SNP has also threatened to “force a vote” and bring forward legislation for the UK to recognise Palestinian statehood if Starmer resists calls to do so.
The UK is working with Jordan to airdrop aid into Gaza and evacuate children needing medical assistance, with military planners deployed for further support.
However, the head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency has warned such efforts are “a distraction” that will fail to properly address deepening starvation in the strip and could in some cases harm civilians.
Images and warnings of starvation emerging from Gaza in recent days have piled pressure on the Israeli government over its conduct.
The Prime Minister held crisis talks with French and German counterparts on Saturday, during which Number 10 said they agreed “it would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently-needed ceasefire into lasting peace”.
A Downing Street readout of the call made no mention of Palestinian statehood.
