UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has kicked against Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to recognise Palestine as a state, warning that the move is “absolutely disastrous.”
Starmer announced in a video shared on X on Sunday that Britain had officially joined more than 150 countries in recognising Palestinian statehood. He said the decision reflects the strength of global support and the urgency of addressing the conflict.
Responding directly to the post, Badenoch said the recognition rewards terrorism without placing conditions on Hamas, leaves hostages trapped in Gaza, and fails to ease the suffering of civilians.
“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 accused Labour of pushing symbolic left-wing policies instead of solving Britain’s pressing challenges, such as fixing the National Health Service, creating jobs for young people, and managing immigration.
She argued that Starmer was “delivering the hobby horses of the Labour left to stay in power and leaving a huge mess for us to clean up.”
Her comments come as more countries recognise Palestine amid mounting outrage over the war in Gaza. Israel and the United States have strongly opposed the recognition.
