UK Conservative Leader Slams Palestine Recognition as 'Disastrous

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has strongly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent decision to formally recognise Palestine as a state, describing it as “absolutely disastrous.”

In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Badenoch argued that the move effectively rewards terrorism without demanding any conditions from Hamas. She said the decision fails to address the plight of Israeli hostages held in Gaza or alleviate the suffering of civilians impacted by the ongoing conflict.

“Disastrous. Absolutely disastrous. We will all rue the day this decision was made,” Badenoch 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 also criticised the broader direction of Starmer’s foreign policy, pointing to the recent settlement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands. The UK agreed to pay £35 billion in reparations and returned the disputed territory, a move she claimed reflects Labour’s prioritisation of left-wing agendas over national interests.

She accused Starmer of lacking a clear foreign policy strategy and claimed he is instead pandering to “the hobby horses of the Labour left” to maintain political power.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the UK’s recognition of Palestine, reiterating that no Palestinian state would be allowed west of the Jordan River and pledging to continue expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The UK’s decision aligns it with over 150 countries that have recognised Palestinian statehood. Canada and Australia also joined the list on Sunday.

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