Sir Keir Starmer has issued an update on the Labour government’s stance on Palestine after he was surrounded by protestors in Scotland.
The prime minister has started his tour of the UK but was met by crowds of pro-Palestine campaigners upon arrival in Edinburgh.
Earlier in the day, he told Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas that recognition of the region as a state as part of the Middle East peace process is an ‘undeniable right’.
He also spoke to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to set out the ‘clear and urgent’ need for a ceasefire – and return of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 last year.
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A Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister said he was pleased to be able to speak to President Abbas so early in his tenure, given the pressing issues in the region, ongoing suffering, and devastating loss of life in Gaza.
‘The Prime Minister updated President Abbas on his immediate priorities, including securing a ceasefire, the return of hostages, an increase and acceleration in humanitarian aid and financial support for the Palestinian Authority.
‘Discussing the importance of reform, and ensuring international legitimacy for Palestine, the Prime Minister said that his longstanding policy on recognition to contribute to a peace process had not changed, and it was the undeniable right of Palestinians.’
Starmer’s UK tour will see him travel to Belfast and Cardiff on Monday, then to Washington DC in the US on Tuesday.
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