The Scottish National Party (SNP) has announced it will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill in the UK Parliament this September, after the summer break. The SNP, a pro-independence opposition party with only nine seats in Westminster, wants the UK to formally recognise the State of Palestine.
This announcement comes amid a growing international conversation on Palestinian statehood, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron declared France would support recognition at the UN General Assembly.
The SNP says it will force a parliamentary vote if Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to delay and resists changing his position on the matter.
The py’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, said, “Unless Keir Starmer stops blocking UK recognition of Palestine, the SNP will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill when Parliament returns in September and force a vote if necessary.”
Flynn is urging the UK to follow France's lead and take a clear stance on the issue. The party’s move reflects increasing pressure within Europe, especially as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.
More than 220 British MPs, including several members from Starmer’s own Labour Party, have already signed a letter demanding the UK recognise Palestine. This growing support shows the rising domestic pressure on the Labour leadership to act.
Earlier this week, President Macron announced that France will officially recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. His move marks a major shift in European diplomacy and has triggered fresh discussions across the continent.
However, both Israel and the United States strongly criticised Macron’s decision.
Following France's move, countries like Germany and Italy have rejected the idea for now. They argue that any recognition must be part of a negotiated peace process. Starmer shares a similar view. He earlier stated that Palestinian statehood should happen “as part of a peace process, not in advance of one.”
Critics, however, argue that delaying recognition allows the conflict to worsen further and risks more humanitarian suffering in Gaza.
According to an AFP tally, 142 countries now recognise Palestine as an independent state. France’s decision adds to this growing list. Still, the recognition faces staunch opposition from Israel and the US, who claim it undermines peace efforts.
The dispute over Palestinian statehood traces back to 1947, when the United Nations General Assembly voted to split Palestine, then under British control, into two separate states one for Jews and the other for Arabs. While Israel became a state in 1948, a Palestinian state has yet to be fully realised.
