Pro-Palestine activists believe ‘sea change’ coming in Labour’s approach to Middle East

Green surge in local elections and recent polling of Labour members may cause government to toughen stance on Israel

Pro-Palestine activists believe there could be a “sea change” in the Labour party’s approach to the crisis in the Middle East which could result in the government taking a tougher stance on Israel.

Campaigners have pointed to the threat posed to Labour by the Green surge in the local elections, the likely departure of Keir Starmer from No 10, and new polling which shows an appetite among Labour members for a ban on all arms shipments to Israel.

The relative optimism marks a mood swing for a campaign that has been hit hard by losing successive high court cases, the labelling of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, and the failure of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to progress Palestinian self-rule.

Both of the frontrunners to replace Starmer as UK prime minister, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, have in the past urged Labour to do more to support Palestine. In the debates so far both have refused to describe Israel’s actions as genocide, although Streeting has accused Israel of committing war crimes. He also circulated a dossier from British doctors working in Palestine to cabinet, only to be accused by Starmer, according to an interview in the Observer, of doing so for the document to be leaked.

Neither Streeting nor Burnham have yet detailed what the UK should do differently in Gaza, either unilaterally or in concert, however. In July 2025 Streeting wrote that Israel’s rogue state behaviour justified applying sanctions to the state, “not just a few ministers” .

The most significant government moves until this week had been the partial suspension of arms exports to Israel in September 2024, and the recognition of Palestine as a state a year later.

Brian Brivati , a historian and the executive director of the British Palestine Project, is convinced steps will be taken. “There is a sea change about to happen inside government and it would be extraordinary if there was not, just because so much of the dynamic leads in one direction,” he said.