UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has fiercely criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state, branding the move “absolutely disastrous” and accusing it of rewarding terrorism
In a post on X on Sunday, Badenoch argued that Starmer’s action would embolden Hamas, leave Israeli hostages in jeopardy, and fail to alleviate civilian suffering in Gaza.
“Disastrous. Absolutely disastrous. We will all rue the day this decision was made,” she wrote. “Rewarding terrorism with no conditions whatsoever put in place for Hamas. It leaves hostages languishing in Gaza and does nothing to stop the suffering of innocent people caught in this war.”
Badenoch claimed the Labour government was using the recognition as a distraction from its inability to resolve key domestic issues. She accused Starmer of pursuing what she called “discredited student union campaigns” to appease the party’s left wing, saying:
“They cannot fix the NHS, so they push assisted suicide.
They cannot create jobs for young people, so they give them votes at 16.
They cannot sort out immigration, but they will recognise Palestine instead.”
The Conservative minister further cited the government’s earlier £35 billion reparations deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands as evidence of what she described as Starmer’s poor judgement.
“Everything we are seeing is the consequence of a Prime Minister who has no plan for the country and no judgement. He will spend the next four years delivering the hobby horses of the Labour left to stay in power and leave a huge mess for us to clean up,” she added.
Starmer’s announcement places the UK alongside Canada and Australia, which recently recognised Palestinian statehood in what the Prime Minister described as a crucial step to revive the two-state solution and bring an end to the Gaza conflict.
The decision has drawn praise from Palestinian leaders but triggered sharp criticism from Israel and some Western allies.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Toor