Palestine pledge could break the law, top lawyers warn Starmer
Their intervention, signed by 40 members of the House of Lords, said a Palestinian state would not meet the criteria for recognition as set out under the Montevideo Convention, a treaty signed in 1933.
The letter, seen by The Times, was sent to Lord Hermer, the attorney-general and the government's top legal adviser.
The signatories point out that Starmer's pledge risked undermining the government's commitment that international law goes 'absolutely to the heart' of its foreign policy.
Among those who signed the letter were seven KCs, including Lord Pannick, one of the UK's most respected lawyers. Pannick represented the government in its Supreme Court battle over the Rwanda relocation scheme.
The peers, including some of parliament's most prominent Jewish voices, wrote to Hermer: 'We call on you to advise him [Starmer] that this would be contrary to international law.
'You are on record as saying that a commitment to international law goes absolutely to the heart of this government and its approach to foreign policy.
'You have said that a selective 'pick and mix' approach to international law will lead to its disintegration, and that the criteria set out in international law should not be manipulated for reasons of political expedience.
'Accordingly, we expect you to demonstrate this commitment by explaining to the public and to the government that recognition of Palestine would be contrary to the principles governing recognition of states in international law. We look forward to your response.'
The 1933 treaty, signed in the Uruguayan capital, laid out the four key criteria for statehood in international law. The treaty says a state must possess a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
The letter added that there is no certainty over the borders of a proposed Palestinian state, while the government would face difficulty continuing to recognise millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as 'refugees', given recognition of statehood would mean they were in their own territory.
They also argued that there is no functioning single government, and it has no capacity to enter into diplomatic relations. Hamas is a proscribed terror group in the UK.
Among the 40 peers to sign the letter were prominent legal figures including Lord Collins of Mapesbury, a former Supreme Court judge, Lord Verdirame KC, a leading barrister and professor in international law, Lord Faulks KC, a leading human rights lawyer, and Lord Banner KC, whose report on radical planning reforms are being accepted by Starmer to speed up major infrastructure projects.
Labour signatories include Lord Mendelsohn, Lord Turnberg, Lord Shamash and Lord Winston, while Lord Harrington of Watford, the former refugee minister, and Lord Walney, the government's former adviser on political violence and disruption, also signed the letter.
Former cabinet ministers include Lord Pickles, Lord Lansley, Lord Ellis KC, Lord Hamilton of Epsom and Baroness Foster of Oxton.
Several former Labour attorney-generals are also said to be supportive of the letter.
Starmer insisted on Wednesday that Britain's recognition of Palestinian statehood is 'not a gesture' but will secure a viable two-state solution as he embarked on a diplomatic push to secure support for his Middle East peace plan.
In a round of calls with world leaders, Starmer said 'recognition needed to be rooted in a process of change that made a material difference to the situation on the ground'.
He told his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, that 'recognition was not a gesture, but a driver for real change that ensured a viable two-state solution', Downing Street said.
Starmer also stressed the need for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the acceleration of aid and ensuring Hamas played no role in a future state.
Starmer's announcement has been widely criticised by both Jewish groups and the families of Britons who were held captive, and who have accused the government of reducing hostages to a 'bargaining chip'.
On Wednesday evening, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, accused Starmer of fundamentally undermining the peace and security of both Israelis and Palestinians and said that the announcement at a time when hostages remain captive can 'only disincentivise Hamas from agreeing to a ceasefire'.
Writing in The Times, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, warned that Starmer's 'knee-jerk recognition of Palestinian statehood will embolden our enemies at abroad and at home'.
The letter was announced after Palestine Action won permission to challenge its ban by the UK government.
The High Court ruled that the decision by Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation should be reviewed in the courts.
Huda Ammori, Palestine Action's co-founder, lodged a bid to challenge the proscription, which was made under anti-terror legislation. The proscription was announced by Cooper after the group claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton on June 20 and inflicting millions of pounds of damage to two Voyager aircraft.
In a major ruling at the High Court, Mr Justice Chamberlain said it was 'reasonably arguable' that the proscription 'amounts to a disproportionate interference' of Ammori's rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
He concluded that a substantive hearing at the High Court should be held in order to decide the legality of the decision to proscribe the group.
Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said: 'The court has confirmed the continuation of the proscription order against Palestine Action Group in line with its previous judgement, while allowing permission for a further hearing under the normal judicial review procedures.
'The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government Proscription Review Group. This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.'
She added: 'Those who seek to support this group may yet not know the true nature of the organisation. But people should be under no illusion — this is not a peaceful or non-violent protest group.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Peaceful pink-wearing mothers' migrants protest turns to violence: Masked men hijack demonstration, trying to rush gates at asylum seekers hotel before police crack down
A peaceful protest by mothers wearing pink turned to violence this afternoon as masked thugs hijacked the demonstration outside a migrant hotel. The group of women and children gathered outside the four-star Britannia International hotel in Canary Wharf, London, today where they sat and chanted 'stop the boats'. The group held up England flags and wore pink clothing to raise awareness of how women and young people are being 'let down' by the migrant crisis. But the peaceful protest quickly turned to chaos as a group of up to 30 balaclava-clad men - all with their faces covered - swarmed the crowd. The thugs caused a huge bang as they set off smoke bombs and chanted ' Keir Starmer is a w*****'. After trying to charge the fence surrounding the hotel, the group of far-right activists ran back in the direction they came from - but were caught by police and several arrests were made. Protester Kim, 60, a resident of the area, said she was demonstrating as she worries for the safety of her family. 'I live in this area, I have kids and grandkids and it needs to be safe for them to live. We don't know them [asylum seekers], we don't know what they've done. My son can't get a house; he has been on the council list since he was 17.' Speaking about the disruption from masked protesters, Kim said: 'It is disgraceful. It completely upset the atmosphere. I don't want to see that and I don't want my kids to see. 'If that was one of my children I would embarrassed. It ruined the atmosphere. This was meant to be a peaceful protest for women and children.' A 17-year-old protester, who goes by the nickname of 'Young Bob', said he is concerned migrants will struggle to 'integrate' if they are housed in hotels in Canary Wharf. Young Bob, who was part of the peaceful mothers' protest, said: 'The counter demonstrators libel us as Nazis. 'But financial districts like these are not ideal for refugees who in the long term need integration. 'During the weekday there are not a lot of people around. 'How will they assimilate into Britishness in this environment? 'Business people who had bookings in the hotel are being turned away which will impact businesses round here.' He added: 'The biggest diversity we can have is the diversity of opinion. 'The protesters who disagree with us should relax in the expletives because it demonstrates a childishness.' On Saturday, people believed to be asylum seekers appeared to move into the four-star hotel in London under the cover of darkness. A coach full of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the Britannia International Hotel at around 1.40am on Saturday morning. Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the Government intends to use the hotel - which has around 500 rooms - for asylum seekers in a move that has angered anti-migrant protesters and guests whose bookings have been cancelled. Footage of the passengers getting off the coach showed they were all men, with the vast majority dressed in matching grey tracksuit tops and bottoms. They were helped by masked security guards, some of whom appeared to be wearing body cameras. Last week, workers were seen hauling beds and mattresses into the hotel in preparation for the arrival of 'hundreds' of asylum seekers. A barricade of metal fencing was placed around the hotel by the Metropolitan Police after anti-migrant demonstrators protested the plan for immigrants to be housed there. The Daily Mail has contacted the Met Police for comment.
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Fewer green energy tariffs offered as British households opt for cheaper deals
The number of green energy tariffs available to British households has plummeted during the cost of living crisis as bill payers choose affordability over sustainability, according to industry data. Energy suppliers have pulled tariffs advertised as 'green' from the market since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a global energy crisis that pushed gas and electricity bills to record highs. Green tariffs, which are typically more expensive than standard deals, made up about 85% of the UK's supply market in 2022 as climate-conscious households opted to pay a premium for deals backed by renewable energy. But industry data, commissioned by the Guardian, has revealed that energy suppliers have radically scaled back their green offerings, which now make up about a fifth of the tariffs on the market. William Mann-Belotti, an analyst at Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy, said demand for tariffs backed by renewable energy had fallen because 'green credentials aren't a higher priority than cost … Amid a cost of living crisis, it becomes difficult to sell pure green tariffs at a premium'. Energy tariffs marketed as green typically promise to supply renewable energy rather than power from a mix of sources provided to the UK's power grids, either by matching each unit of energy sold with a renewable energy certificate bought in an open market, or through a direct deal with a renewable energy generator. The consultancy found that the number of green dual-fuel tariffs has halved in the last year alone. Last month there were 13 dual-fuel green tariffs available to consumers out of 57, compared with last summer when there were 24 green tariffs on offer out of 56 dual-fuel energy deals. All the energy deals now advertised as 'green' on the uSwitch price comparison website, including dual-fuel and separate gas and electricity tariffs, have made up just 18% of the overall total this year, data from the switching service shows. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, green energy deals made up 85% of all energy tariffs on offer on the price comparison site, according to uSwitch data. 'Consumer choice plays a strong role in what is offered on the market, so cost concerns might see people switching away from more expensive green tariffs. This would therefore reduce the demand for them,' Mann-Belotti said. 'Also, there are other ways for people to reduce their carbon footprint, with quite the increase in solar PV installations in recent years.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion However, the Uswitch data revealed some good news for climate-conscious households. Although there are fewer green tariffs on the market today, the deals available are 'greener' than they used to be. Uswitch grades each tariff marketed as green to help customers avoid greenwashed deals. In 2021, fewer than 15% of tariffs received a gold- or silver-standard rating from the switching service, but last year nine of the 10 green tariffs on its site were ranked at this level, leaving a single tariff ranked bronze. The stronger green credentials behind these tariffs reflect a shift away from using renewable energy certificates to guarantee the origin of the electricity – called 'greenwashing' by consumer groups and investigated by the government. Instead, suppliers are opting to buy clean energy directly from renewable energy projects. Others sell energy that is cheaper when there is more renewable energy across the country as an incentive to use more clean power when it is available.
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trans rights protesters daub graffiti including 'child killer' on Wes Streeting's constituency office
Trans rights protesters have claimed responsibility for vandalising Wes Streeting 's constituency office. Police have launched an investigation after the Health Secretary's HQ in Ilford North had its windows smashed and the words 'child killer' daubed on the front in graffiti. Trans Bash Back, a 'trans-led direct action project', claimed responsibility for the stunt in a post on the BlueSky social media platform on Friday. Sharing a photo of the front of Mr Streeting's office shortly after it had been damaged, they wrote: 'Don't want action? Don't kill kids.' The MP for Ilford North has addressed the vandalism but did not reference the accusations made by the activists. 'From day one as Ilford North's MP I've had an accessible and visible constituency office to serve my local community,' he wrote on X. 'Repeated criminal damage is unfair to my staff and an attack on democracy. I will not be commenting further while there is a live police investigation.' Trans Bash Back describes itself as a 'non-violent direct action group' which takes 'risky, and rarely legal' action. On social media, the group has said it 'to sit and watch as trans young people have their healthcare stripped from them. 'We refuse to allow Streeting to cover up their suicides. We refuse to endure the violence and humiliation. They will have to go through us'. One local business owner told The Telegraph that 'glass was broken and there's paint everywhere'. 'It's happened a few times – he's only just had the window replaced,' they added. Mr Streeting has previously been clear about his stance on the gender debate. In an interview with Talk Radio last year, he said: 'Men have penises, women have vaginas; here ends my biology lesson.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 10.16 on Friday, Aug 1 to reports of criminal damage at an office in Woodford Avenue, IG4. 'Officers attended the scene, where they discovered that the address had been attacked with paint and the windows had been damaged. 'No one was injured.
