I am committed to ensuring that Palestinian rights are protected and international law is respected.

Witnessing the suffering of Palestinians when I visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories when I was first elected an MP cemented my firm commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights in Parliament and within the Labour Party and I have spoken out ever since. I have been vice chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East for 7 years and chair of the organisation for the last year.

When I was in the OPTs the situation was truly harrowing, children being denied their basic human rights and since then the reality on the ground has significantly worsened. With President Trump acting with even more impunity and carving out a “deal” that does nothing but give Palestinian rights away, our role in the UK to stand with the Palestinians is ever more important.

I’ve long campaigned for businesses to act with respect for human rights and so I welcome the UN Human Right’s Council publication of business activities related to illegal settlements in the OPTs. As leader of the party I would work to ensure that UK companies do not profit from the destruction of Palestinian homes and the building and maintenance of illegal settlements.

We cannot allow the continued selling of arms to Israel, the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of Gaza and for Palestinian refugees to be denied their rights. I am committed to ensuring that Palestinian rights are protected and international law is respected.