“The government needs to accept that it cannot simply clamp down & silence those speaking out against Israel’s genocide.
Ben Jamal, PSC Director
By the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC)
Labour Party officials are attempting to stifle debate on Palestine at the party conference and prevent calls for the Government to take meaningful steps to end complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) met yesterday and decided to rule out more than 30 motions submitted by constituency Labour Partys (CLPs) and affiliated organisations ahead of the party conference in Liverpool which begins on Sunday 28th September. Every motion on Palestine was ruled out of order by the CAC.
Contemporary motions at conference have to meet the criteria that the issue must not have been substantially addressed in the National Policy Framework (NPF) Annual Report 2025 which was published on 8th August. The overwhelming majority of Palestine motions were ruled out of order on the grounds that the motions do “not relate to a new issue not substantially covered in the NPF report”. This is despite the fact many focused on events that took place after the NPF Report was published. These include the announcement of the Israeli government’s plans to militarily occupy Gaza City on 8 August and the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza City on 10 August.
The motions also make demands on the Labour Party that are not included in the NPF Report, such as an end to all arms trade and military cooperation with Israel, comprehensive sanctions, and a ban on trade that aides or assists Israel’s violations of international law.
The number of motions sent to conference demanding the party takes more action on Palestine has dramatically increased since last year, when just three motions were sent to conference. This ten-fold increase shows the growing level of anger at the grassroots at the leadership’s position. Recent polling has found that 72% of Labour’s 2024 voters want a full arms embargo on Israel.
PSC Director Ben Jamal said:
“Just days after a UN Commission of Inquiry confirmed that Israel has committed and is committing genocide in Gaza, it is shocking that Labour officials are trying to block a large influx of motions in solidarity with Palestine from being debated at this year’s party conference. By continuing to deny that Israel is committing genocide, the government seems determined to ignore the overwhelming evidence as well as growing public outrage at its ongoing failure to take meaningful action to end British complicity with Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people. The government needs to accept that it cannot simply clamp down and silence those speaking out against Israel’s genocide. Labour Party members must be allowed to debate these issues in Liverpool.”
John McDonnell MP said:
“With more than 30 motions on Palestine submitted to this year’s Labour Party conference, it is clear that party members see Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people as a major issue that needs to be raised on conference floor. This week’s landmark report by a UN Commission of Inquiry, that concluded Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, should be a wake-up call. The government should join those including Sadiq Khan who have spoken out this week to make clear that what we are witnessing in Gaza is genocide and urgently implement sanctions, including a full arms embargo and a ban on all trade that aids or assists Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people. Delegates must not be prevented from discussing these issues at conference.”
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- This article is based on a press release issued by the PSC on 19/9/2025.
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Starmer and the rest of his shameful excuse for a government need to open their eyes, stop taking Israel’s money and do what they were elected to do; represent the people of the UK, not Israel. We want Palestine fully recognized by actions not words, and if any of them want to salvage what is left of their miserable political careers they should listen to the electorate. Enough is enough and their complicity in genocide, their arming of Israel and their allowing UK aircraft to be used to provide surveillance to Israel for Capet bombing in Palestine and the Qatar bombing, will never be forgotten or forgiven. Their attempts to block discussion on Palestine, to criminalize peaceful protest and curtail our freedom of speech, their inaction on Palestine, and their manipulation of the media all show it’s still about personal gain and not people’s lives . This ‘so called labour’ government is on borrowed time as we won’t be silenced and we won’t forget the 25,000 children you allowed to be massacred, along with the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.