EXPERT COMMENT
Keir Starmer wants Britain to re-engage in the region. A dedicated envoy or minister will be vital.
Sir Keir Starmer's speech at Chatham House on 31 October set out the Labour Party's position on the Hamas-Israel war.
He outlined his view that there should be humanitarian pauses to enable the delivery of aid and alleviate suffering - but argued a ceasefire would not be the correct position ‘now', although he understood why some people are calling for it.
The balance Starmer looked to strike in his speech is indicative of the fraught role that the Israel-Palestine conflict plays in British foreign policy and domestic politics. The war threatens to unpick the party unity Starmer has worked hard to project, in advance of the UK general election expected in 2024.
The more striking theme of his speech was his call for renewed British engagement with the Middle East peace process. He said that the international community has paid lip service to the process for too long, and emphasized his Labour Party would - if it gets into government - work for the cause of Palestinian nationhood and a long-term peace.
The Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy subsequently said Labour would engage in ‘real work' for a two state solution. But this raises questions for the UK and its role in the world.
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