Palestine Remains on the Agenda
From Liverpool – Hamza Ali, Progress Center for Policies
The Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool was supposed to showcase economic and political stability after three months in power. Keir Starmer had even tried to preempt internal disputes by recognizing the State of Palestine earlier this month—a symbolic gesture that was meant, in theory, to calm tensions within the party. But events at the conference showed just how mistaken that calculation was. Instead of ending debate, Palestine became the issue that dominated the conference.
• The motion that changed the atmosphere:
The turning point came when delegates endorsed an emergency motion put forward by union leaders. In plain terms, the motion contained three demands:
– To declare that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
– To call on the Labour government to suspend all arms sales to Israel.
– To demand suspension of the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.
For ordinary observers, the message was clear: the party’s grassroots said Britain must stop materially supporting Israel amid ongoing atrocities against Palestinians, and it must take a firm stance. There were also unmistakable signals of rebuke toward the leadership. Starmer and his team had drafted a softer motion that merely referred to the “risk” of genocide—a cautious, watered-down wording that avoided binding commitments.
The issue was not simply about wording. It was about whether the party was willing to take concrete action against Israel, or whether it would stick to cautious diplomacy.
• A conference surrounded by protest:
Outside the hall, the mood was just as combustible. Police arrested 11 protesters from a rights group opposing the government’s ban on the “Palestine Action” network under terrorism laws. Their placards read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” The previous day, hundreds marched through Liverpool, dismissing Labour’s recognition of Palestine as mere “crumbs.” The scale and persistence of protest showed that Palestine is no longer a marginal issue for Labour activists but a rallying point for broader public anger.
• From the margins to the mainstream:
Inside the hall, voices once dismissed as fringe left opposition are now heard from the main stage. MP Ian Byrne told delegates: “When the Labour leadership denies [genocide], they are wrong, and history will judge them.” Even Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s conference speech—meant to highlight Labour’s economic credibility—was interrupted by an activist spotlighting famine and genocide in Gaza.
Meanwhile, outside the conference, cultural figures including Steve Coogan, Maxine Peake, Paul Weller, and Paloma Faith released a video urging Labour to sanction Israel. This mainstream cultural intervention underscored how the issue transcends the party’s internal battles.
• Public opinion versus cautious leadership:
Polling reinforces the sense that Labour’s leadership lags behind public opinion:
44% of Britons support recognizing Palestine as an independent state.
A nationwide majority, including 72% of Labour voters, back a complete arms embargo on Israel.
54% want Israel expelled from the United Nations.
50% believe supermarkets should stop stocking Israeli goods.
Against this backdrop, Labour’s support has slipped. A poll published on the eve of the conference by The Telegraph put Labour at just 16%—its lowest level since taking office in July 2024.
Conclusion:
The Liverpool conference showed that conditional recognition of Palestine is not enough. What it revealed is that Palestine is no longer an issue the leadership can manage through symbolic gestures. Starmer’s recognition of Palestine was intended to shield the party from internal rebellion; instead, it highlighted the gap between leadership caution and popular demand for justice.
The emergency motion put forward by the unions was more than a procedural vote. It was a declaration that Labour members, trade unions, and a significant portion of the public expect real action: no more arms sales, no more trade deals, and a clear acknowledgment of genocide in Gaza.
Palestine has moved from the margins of party politics to its center. At the conference, it proved impossible to suppress, and it now stands as the toughest test of Labour’s credibility and its political future.
The conference atmosphere and sharp debates against the leadership showed clearly that the party’s crisis is not only tied to the strong political current crystallizing on its left—led by former leader Jeremy Corbyn, activist Zarah Sultana, and the Green Party—but also in a powerful left bloc still inside Labour itself, driven by trade unions and supported by a broad alliance of intellectuals and academics.
