Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
{{Short description|Parliamentary group}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{third-party|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
| logo = File:Logo_of_Labour_Friends_of_Palestine_and_the_Middle_East_2024.webp
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| abbreviation = LFPME
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| formation = {{start date and age|2009}}
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| location_country = United Kingdom
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| leader_title = Co-chairs
| leader_name = Sarah Owen and Andrew Pakes
| affiliations = Labour Party
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| website = https://www.lfpme.co.uk
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Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East (LFPME) is a parliamentary group within the British Labour Party that promotes support for Palestine and campaigns for "peace and justice in the Middle East through the implementation of international law and respect for human rights".{{cite web|url=https://www.lfpme.org/about-us|publisher=Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East|title= About LFPME|access-date=7 April 2014}} LFPME was formed in 2009.
According to their website, "LFPME supports a viable two-state solution that delivers justice and freedom for the Palestinian people as called for by the overwhelming international consensus and enshrined under international law and in UN resolutions."
History
Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East (LFPME) was established in 2009{{cite web |url=https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/37408/establishment-of-labour-friends-of-palestine-and-the-middle-east |title=Establishment of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East |publisher=UK Parliament |work=Early Day Motions |date=12 January 2009 |access-date=24 April 2025}} by Sara Apps, Michelle Harris, Phyllis Starkey MP, Mark McDonald, Richard Burden MP and Martin Linton MP, at the prompting of Gerald Kaufman, an MP long involved in Palestinian affairs.{{cite web |url=https://lfpme.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/10-year-reportDIGITAL.pdf |title=10 Year Report, Reflections and Plans |website=Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=22 April 2025}}
LFPME was involved in promoting the 13 October 2014 House of Commons non-binding resolution, passed by 274 to 12, for the United Kingdom to recognise the State of Palestine alongside Israel.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29596822 |title=MPs back Palestinian statehood alongside Israel |work=BBC News |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=22 April 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://lfpme.org/20201014-parliament-voted-to-recognise-the-state-of-palestine-six-years-ago-its-time-for-the-government-to-do-so/ |title=Parliament voted to recognise the state of Palestine six years ago. It's time for the Government to do so. |last=Burden |first=Richard |website=Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East |date=14 October 2020 |access-date=22 April 2025}}
LFPME was re-established as a company limited by guarantee in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/15030242|title=Companies House Company information – Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East|website=Companies House}}
Prior to 2018, LFPME was chaired by Grahame Morris MP with vice-chair Andy Slaughter MP. From 2018 to 2020, it was chaired by the MP Lisa Nandy,{{cite news |url=https://labourlist.org/2018/12/lisa-nandy-my-plans-as-the-new-chair-of-labour-friends-of-palestine-the-middle-east/ |title=Lisa Nandy: My plans as the new chair of Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East |last=Nandy |first=Lisa |website=LabourList |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=22 April 2025}} and then by Julie Elliott until she stood down from parliament in 2024.{{cite news |url=https://labourlist.org/2020/07/my-priorities-as-the-new-chair-of-labour-friends-of-palestine-and-the-middle-east/ |title=My priorities as the new chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East |last=Elliott |first=Julie |website=LabourList |date=9 July 2020 |access-date=22 April 2025}} In 2025, Sarah Owen MP and Andrew Pakes MP became co-chairs.{{cite news |url=https://labourlist.org/2025/04/palestine-recognise-labour-two-state/ |title=New MP chairs of Labour Palestine group: 'Let's recognise Palestine now' |last1=Owen |first1=Sarah |last2=Pakes |first2=Andrew |website=LabourList |date=10 April 2025 |access-date=22 April 2025}} The late Jo Cox was a supporter, and so is former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Current parliamentary members
In the current parliament, the supporters are:{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary Supporters |url=https://www.lfpme.co.uk/parliamentary-supporters |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=LFPME |language=en}}
- Debbie Abrahams – Oldham East and Saddleworth
- Rushanara Ali – Bethnal Green and Stepney
- Tahir Ali – Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
- Mike Amesbury – Runcorn and Helsby (resigned as MP)
- Fleur Anderson – Putney
- Alex Ballinger – Halesowen
- Paula Barker – Liverpool Wavertree
- Apsana Begum – Poplar and Limehouse (whip withdrawn)
- Sir Chris Bryant – Rhondda and Ogmore
- Richard Burgon – Leeds East
- Dawn Butler – Brent East
- Ian Byrne – Liverpool West Derby
- Liam Byrne – Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
- Sarah Champion – Rotherham
- Neil Coyle – Bermondsey and Old Southwark
- Janet Daby – Lewisham East
- Marsha de Cordova – Battersea
- Tan Dhesi – Slough
- Florence Eshalomi – Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
- Vicky Foxcroft – Lewisham North
- Mary Kelly Foy – City of Durham
- Barry Gardiner Brent West
- Preet Kaur Gill – Birmingham Edgbaston
- Mary Glindon – Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
- Andrew Gwynne – Gorton and Denton (whip suspended)
- Rachel Hopkins – Luton South and South Bedfordshire
- Rupa Huq – Ealing Central and Acton
- Imran Hussain – Bradford East
- Dame Diana Johnson – Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
- Kim Johnson – Liverpool Riverside
- Ruth Jones – Newport West and Islwyn
- Afzal Khan – Manchester Rusholme
- Stephen Kinnock Aberafan Maesteg
- Ian Lavery – Blyth and Ashington
- Kim Leadbeater – Spen Valley
- Emma Lewell-Buck – South Shields
- Shabana Mahmood – Birmingham Ladywood
- Seema Malhotra – Feltham and Heston
- Rachael Maskell – York Central
- Kerry McCarthy – Bristol East
- Andy McDonald – Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
- John McDonnell – Hayes and Harlington (whip withdrawn)
- Navendu Mishra – Stockport
- Stephen Morgan – Portsmouth South
- Grahame Morris – Easington
- Chi Onwurah – Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
- Kate Osborne – Jarrow and Gateshead East
- Sarah Owen – Luton North
- Yasmin Qureshi – Bolton South and Walkden
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy – Clapham and Brixton Hill
- Naz Shah – Bradford West
- Michael Shanks – Rutherglen
- Andy Slaughter – Hammersmith and Chiswick
- Jeff Smith – Manchester Withington
- Wes Streeting – Ilford North
- Zarah Sultana – Coventry South (whip withdrawn)
- Gareth Thomas – Harrow West
- Emily Thornberry – Islington South and Finsbury
- Sir Stephen Timms – East Ham
- Dan Tomlinson – Chipping Barnet
- Valerie Vaz – Walsall and Bloxwich
- Nadia Whittome – Nottingham East
Members 2019–2024
In the 2019–2024 parliament, the members were:{{cite web | url=https://www.lfpme.co.uk/parliamentary-supporters | title=Parliamentary Supporters }}
- Debbie Abrahams – Oldham East and Saddleworth
- Rushanara Ali – Bethnal Green and Bow
- Tahir Ali – Birmingham Hall Green
- Jonathan Ashworth – Leicester South
- Paula Barker – Liverpool Wavertree
- Apsana Begum – Poplar and Limehouse
- Paul Blomfield – Sheffield Central
- Ben Bradshaw – Exeter
- Chris Bryant – Rhondda
- Richard Burgon – Leeds East
- Dawn Butler – Brent Central
- Ian Byrne – Liverpool West Derby
- Liam Byrne – Birmingham Hodge Hill
- Sarah Champion – Rotherham
- Alex Cunningham – Stockton North
- Wayne David – Caerphilly
- Marsha de Cordova – Battersea
- Tan Dhesi – Slough
- Julie Elliott – Sunderland Central
- Florence Eshalomi – Vauxhall
- Vicky Foxcroft – Lewisham Deptford
- Mary Kelly Foy – City of Durham
- Preet Kaur Gill – Birmingham Edgbaston
- Mary Glindon – North Tyneside
- Andrew Gwynne – Denton and Reddish
- Kate Hollern – Blackburn
- Rachel Hopkins – Luton South
- Rupa Huq – Ealing Central and Acton
- Imran Hussain – Bradford East
- Kim Johnson – Liverpool Riverside
- Ruth Jones – Newport West
- Afzal Khan – Manchester Gorton
- Stephen Kinnock – Aberavon
- Ian Lavery – Wansbeck
- Kim Leadbeater – Batley and Spen
- Emma Lewell-Buck – South Shields
- Shabana Mahmood – Birmingham Ladywood
- Seema Malhotra – Feltham and Heston
- Rachael Maskell – York Central
- Kerry McCarthy – Bristol East
- John McDonnell – Hayes and Harlington
- Ian Mearns – Gateshead
- Navendu Mishra – Stockport
- Stephen Morgan – Portsmouth South
- Grahame Morris – Easington
- Kate Osborne – Jarrow
- Sarah Owen – Luton North
- Yasmin Qureshi – Bolton South East
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy – Streatham
- Lloyd Russell-Moyle – Brighton Kemptown
- Naz Shah – Bradford West
- Michael Shanks – Rutherglen and Hamilton West
- Andy Slaughter – Hammersmith
- Jeff Smith – Manchester Withington
- Wes Streeting – Ilford North
- Zarah Sultana – Coventry South
- Sam Tarry – Ilford South
- Gareth Thomas – Harrow West
- Stephen Timms – East Ham
- Valerie Vaz – Walsall South
- Alan Whitehead – Southampton Test
- Nadia Whittome – Nottingham East
- Andy McDonald – Middlesbrough
Members until 2019
Until 2019, the parliamentary members of the group were:{{cite web|url=https://www.lfpme.org/supporters|title=Parliamentary Supporters|website=LFPME|access-date=25 February 2019}}
| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
! MP ! Constituency |
| Diane Abbott
|Hackney North |
| Debbie Abrahams
|Oldham East and Saddleworth |
| Rushanara Ali
|Bethnal Green |
| Jonathan Ashworth
|Leicester South |
| Clive Betts
|Sheffield, Attercliffe |
| Paul Blomfield
|Sheffield Central |
| Lyn Brown
|West Ham |
| Chris Bryant
|Rhondda |
| Karen Buck
|Westminster North |
| Richard Burgon
|Leeds East |
| Dawn Butler
|Brent Central |
| Liam Byrne
|Birmingham Hodge Hill |
| Ruth Cadbury
|Brentford and Isleworth |
| Sarah Champion
|Rotherham |
| Jeremy Corbyn
|Islington North |
| Neil Coyle
|Bermondsey and Old Southwark |
| Alex Cunningham
|Stockton North |
| Thangam Debbonaire
|Bristol South |
| Stephen Doughty
|Cardiff South and Penarth |
| Peter Dowd
|Bootle |
| Jack Dromey
|Birmingham Erdington |
| Angela Eagle
|Wallasey |
| Clive Efford
|Eltham |
| Julie Elliott
|Sunderland Central |
| Bill Esterson
|Sefton Central |
| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
! MP ! Constituency |
| Colleen Fletcher
|Coventry North East |
| Vicky Foxcroft
|Lewisham Deptford |
| Mary Glindon
|North Tyneside |
| Lilian Greenwood
|Nottingham South |
| Nia Griffith
|Llanelli |
| Louise Haigh
|Sheffield Heeley |
| Fabian Hamilton
|Leeds North East |
| Carolyn Harris
|Swansea East |
| Sharon Hodgson
|Gateshead East and Washington West |
| Kate Hollern
|Blackburn |
| George Howarth
|Knowsley North and Sefton East |
| Rupa Huq
|Ealing Central and Acton |
| Imran Hussain
|Bradford East |
| Diana Johnson
|Kingston upon Hull North |
| Gerald Jones
|Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney |
| Afzal Khan
|Manchester Gorton |
| Stephen Kinnock
|Aberavon |
| David Lammy
|Tottenham |
| Ian Lavery
|Wansbeck |
| Tony Lloyd
|Rochdale |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey
|Salford and Eccles |
| Holly Lynch
|Halifax |
| Shabana Mahmood
|Birmingham, Ladywood |
| Chris Matheson
|City of Chester |
| Rachael Maskell
|York Central |
| Kerry McCarthy
|Bristol East |
| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
! MP ! Constituency |
| Andy McDonald
|Middlesbrough |
| John McDonnell
|Hayes and Harlington |
| Conor McGinn
|St Helens North |
| Grahame Morris
|Easington |
| Ian Murray
|Edinburgh South |
| Lisa Nandy
|Wigan |
| Kate Osamor
|Edmonton |
| Matthew Pennycook
|Greenwich |
| Teresa Pearce
|Erith and Thamesmead |
| Toby Perkins
|Chesterfield |
| Bridget Phillipson
|Houghton & Sunderland South |
| Yasmin Qureshi
|Bolton South East |
| Angela Rayner
|Ashton-under-Lyme |
| Christina Rees
|Neath |
| Marie Rimmer
|St Helens South and Whiston |
| Geoffrey Robinson
|Coventry North East |
| Naz Shah
|Bradford West |
| Virendra Sharma
|Ealing Southall |
| Barry Sheerman
|Huddersfield |
| Tulip Siddiq
|Hampstead and Kilburn |
| Andy Slaughter
|Hammersmith |
| Cat Smith
|Lancaster and Fleetwood |
| Nick Smith
|Blaenau Gwent |
| Owen Smith
|Pontypridd |
| Keir Starmer
|Holborn and St Pancras |
| Jo Stevens
|Cardiff Central |
| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
! MP ! Constituency |
| Wes Streeting
|Ilford North |
| Graham Stringer
|Blackley and Broughton |
| Mark Tami
|Alyn and Deeside |
| Gareth Thomas
|Harrow West |
| Nick Thomas-Symonds
|Torfaen |
| Emily Thornberry
|Islington South and Finsbury |
| Stephen Timms
|East Ham |
| Jon Trickett
|Hemsworth |
| Karl Turner
|Kingston upon Hull East |
| Derek Twigg
|Halton |
| Valerie Vaz
|Walsall South |
| Alan Whitehead
|Southampton, Test |
| Catherine West
|Hornsey and Wood Green |
| Rosie Winterton
|Doncaster Central |
| Daniel Zeichner
|Cambridge |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
Category:Organisations associated with the Labour Party (UK)
Category:Palestine–United Kingdom relations
Category:United Kingdom friendship associations
Category:2009 establishments in the United Kingdom
{{UK Labour Party}}
{{UK-org-stub}}