Thank you to everyone who contacted me about the debate on Palestinian Statehood this coming Monday. 

I will be voting for the motion on Monday because I fully support the two states living side by side in peace, recognised by all of their neighbours.

Labour have consistently supported the principle of recognising Palestinian statehood and it is clear that the events of recent months only underline the dangers for both Palestinians and Israelis of a resumption of violence and bloodshed.

Labour called on the then Foreign Secretary, William Hague, in 2011 and in 2012 to commit Britain to supporting the Palestinians’ bid for recognition at the UN, not a means of bypassing the need for talks, but as a bridge for restarting them.

I believe that the international community must now take concrete steps to rekindle hopes that there is a credible route to a viable Palestinian state and a secure Israel achieved by negotiations.

The motion before the House on Monday does not commit Labour to immediate recognition of Palestine, or mandate the UK government to immediately bilaterally recognise the State of Palestine, but it does reaffirm Labour’s support for the principle of recognising Palestinian ?statehood.