LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing pressure from a group of MPs within his ruling Labour party to apologize and consider paying reparations to Palestinians for Britain’s role during the period of the British Mandate in Palestine between 1917 and 1948.
In an open letter addressed to the prime minister, nearly 20 Labour parliamentarians called on the government to acknowledge what they described as Britain’s historical responsibility for “war crimes” committed during its administration of the territory, The Telegraph newspaper reported on Saturday.
The initiative was organized by the campaign group Britain Owes Palestine, which argues that the UK must confront its past involvement in the region.
The letter states that Britain “gave away Palestine, a land we had no right to give,” when it withdrew in 1948 following the UN-backed plan to partition the territory.
The withdrawal led to the establishment of the state of Israel and the outbreak of war, events that remain central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Campaigners say Britain should recognize that its policies during the mandate period contributed to violence and displacement.
The letter alleges that British forces committed abuses including murder, torture, arbitrary detention and home demolitions while governing the territory. According to the signatories, acknowledging these actions through an apology would represent an important symbolic step.
“An apology wouldn’t solve the conflict but is an initial first step to Britain making peace with its own past,” the letter states, urging Starmer to apologise so that “we can move towards healing this open wound.”
The document seen by The Telegraph was signed by 18 Labour MPs and one peer.
Among the signatories are prominent figures from the party’s left wing, including John McDonnell and Richard Burgon, both of whom previously served in the shadow cabinet under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Several newly elected MPs from the party’s 2024 intake also backed the appeal.
Britain Owes Palestine was launched in 2025 and is campaigning for the UK government to acknowledge what it calls a “century of oppression.”
The group submitted a 400-page legal petition to the government in September arguing that Britain breached international law during its administration of Palestine.
The government has yet to formally respond to the petition and could face legal action, including a potential judicial review in the High Court, if it continues to decline engagement with the claims.
Starmer’s government recognized a Palestinian state in September to increase pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza.
A ceasefire was reached the following month, although critics, including the opposition Conservatives, argued that the move risked rewarding militant group Hamas.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticised the recognition decision, saying it would have “no impact whatsoever” on achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
