Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his decision to formally recognise the State of Palestine.
In a post shared on her X account on Sunday, September 21, Badenoch described the move as “absolutely disastrous,” arguing it rewards terrorism while ignoring the plight of hostages still held in Gaza.
She accused the Labour leader of lacking a coherent strategy for the country and pandering to “the hobby horses of the Labour left” to maintain power.
“Rewarding terrorism with no conditions whatsoever put in place for Hamas leaves hostages languishing in Gaza and does nothing to stop the suffering of innocent people caught in this war,” Badenoch wrote.
The Conservative leader went further, linking Labour’s recognition of Palestine to what she called a pattern of misplaced priorities.
According to her, the government is failing in key domestic areas but using divisive policies to distract the public.
“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,” she added.
Recognition of Palestine has long been a debated issue in British politics, but the criticism from Badenoch highlights how deeply divisive the move could become.
Badenoch also cited Starmer’s record on foreign affairs as evidence of what she views as weak leadership.
She referenced the payment of £35 billion in reparations to Mauritius and the surrender of the Chagos Islands, framing these as decisions that showed poor judgement.
“Everything we are seeing is a consequence of a Prime Minister who has no plan for the country and no judgement,” she said.
“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.”
However, the strong backlash from Badenoch signals that the decision will likely remain a hot political issue in the months to come.
