FILE PIC: Jeremy Corbyn takes part in a Palestine Coalition march in central London, January 31, 2026
A PETITION calling for a public inquiry into Britain’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza smashed the 100,000 threshold for a parliamentary debate today.
Your Party is now demanding that Parliament makes time to debate the petition and that the government establishes a fully independent public inquiry into Britain’s involvement since October 2023.
The petition was launched by the party’s chair Jennifer Forbes just over two weeks ago on October 23 after the government blocked a Bill for an independent inquiry.
Your Party’s parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn MP, who tabled the Bill, said: “One hundred thousand people have signed this petition because they want the truth about Britain’s complicity in genocide. They deserve answers, and the Palestinian people deserve justice.
“What weapons were supplied to Israel? What intelligence was gathered over Gaza, and how was it used? What legal advice did ministers receive, and what decisions did they take?
“Parliament must now make time for this debate. But our demand remains a fully independent public inquiry with the power to question those responsible and expose the full extent of Britain’s involvement.
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At 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate by the House of Commons petitions committee, but reaching the threshold does not automatically guarantee a debate or establish an inquiry.
Your Party said that the milestone sends a clear message that the public will continue demanding answers about decisions taken in their name.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham admits to blatently lying and engaging in deception to become leader of the UK Labour Party and Prime Minister. He asks who could possibly object to the IDF starving people to death, conducting forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing all Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He says they’ve got a genocide to do for Israel and to stop objecting.Ed Miliband claims that he and Andy Burnham have reformulated Blair’s triangulation strategy. Their new formulation entails acknowledging that they were wrong on Israel and Palestine but entails doing absolutely nothing about it and continuing exactly the same policies hoping that you’re too stupid to notice.
‘So let’s all of us commit to stopping the sleep-walking into a new form of Nazism and by acting together, in unity, we can challenge their narrative’
SOLIDARITY campaigners came together in Cardiff on Saturday in a Unity March through a rain-soaked capital.
The Unity March was called by a coalition of organisations including CND Cymru, the National Education Union Cymru, PCS Cymru and Together Cymru to bring communities together in the face of far-right attacks.
In his address, Your Party leader Jeremy Corbyn thanked the marchers for the solidarity they were showing to the Palestinian people.
He said: “I reckon that between one and two million people in Britain have either attended demonstrations, gone to local events, signed petitions, lobbied their local MP or done something to support the Palestinian people.
“That is almost unprecedented for international solidarity in this country, so well done each and every one of you.”
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Former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood spoke about the undercover ITV documentary on Reform UK.
“Many people saw on their TV screens this week what the mainstream far right have been carefully trying to hide,” she said. “We saw elected councillors and officials using language, arguments and imagery similar to that used by the Nazis and turning racism into a badge of honour.
“This language, these attitudes of superiority, this lack of empathy is what led, almost a century ago, to concentration camps.
“So let’s all of us commit to stopping the sleep-walking into a new form of Nazism and by acting together, in unity, we can challenge their narrative and their destination,” she said.
Nigel Farage blames the Muzzies.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
Supporters of Yemen’s Houthi rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, September 18, 2026
ANTI-WAR campaigners have denounced Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to back Saudi Arabia’s assault on Yemen.
Your Party parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn said the move formed part of a pattern of intervention in the Middle East under Mr Burnham.
The former Labour leader said: “Helping the US to bomb Iran. Now, helping Saudi Arabia to bomb Yemen. This is a terrible and shameful decision, which drags Britain further into conflict, deepens its complicity in Saudi war crimes and proves that no lessons have been learned whatsoever.”
The Stop the War Coalition also criticised the move, saying that “while the Trump administration has repeatedly said it will not actively militarily aid the Saudis, Burnham promises to help them ahead of his meeting with the president.
“The Prime Minister should be actively opposing Trump’s illegal war on Iran, not taking the UK further into Middle East conflicts.”
Ed Sheeran performs at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
“The Ed Sheeran debacle will be seen as a turning point in pop culture complicity” with Israel, said one Palestinian-American writer, who described it as “a clear ‘South Africa moment.’”
Singer Ed Sheeran hoped to sidestep controversy by letting rapper Macklemore be removed from his tour over his pro-Palestine remarks. Instead, he’s sparked what one writer said could be a “turning point” for how pop culture engages on the issue of Israel and Palestine.
Sheeran responded to the backlash on Tuesday by claiming he was helpless to stop Macklemore’s ouster, which followed the intervention of the pro-Israel New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who rallied other NFL venue owners to bar Sheeran’s Loop Tour if the “Thrift Shop” rapper continued to perform.
Pro-Israel groups petitioned for Macklemore to be removed from the tour after a performance earlier this month in which he said, “Free Palestine,” and performed his song “Hind’s Hall.” The song refers to anti-Israel protests at Columbia University in 2024 and is dedicated to the 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces. She was one of more than 20,000 children who have been killed as part of Israel’s military campaign there, according to a UN commission.
But the other four openers said they would not abide what they viewed as elites’ political censorship of an artist speaking out against what humanrights groups have described as a genocide in Gaza and an occupation of the West Bank that is considered illegal under international law.
Each one of the artists announced on Tuesday that they would no longer tour with Sheeran.
🇵🇸 All of Ed Sheeran’s scheduled supporting acts have quit his Loop tour after Macklemore was removed for declaring “Free Palestine” and condemning Israel’s genocide during two MetLife Stadium shows.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” said the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Finneas, who has vocally supported the plight of Palestinians for several years. “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The Irish singer Aaron Rowe likewise withdrew from his upcoming shows with Sheeran, though he acknowledged he did not “take the decision lightly.”
“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this,” Rowe wrote on Instagram. “But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine, and violent occupation.”
“I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children,” he continued. “I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal.”
The Danish pop band Lukas Graham also dropped from the tour, with frontman Lukas Forchhammer writing that artists “should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.”
Forchhammer addressed Kraft, a multibillionaire, who gloated after the fact about having Macklemore blackballed and denounced his expressions of support for Palestinians as “hate speech.”
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” Forchhammer wrote. “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
The Irish folk group Beoga—which helped to found the Irish Artist for Palestine Movement—was even more direct, calling out Kraft’s extensive history of donating to pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which has spent over $100 million attempting to influence the current election cycle, and supporting efforts to punish those who boycott Israeli products.
“It’s important that everyone knows that the real enemy is the Zionist lobby. They have worked tirelessly to silence artists who want to speak freely about a genocide happening before our eyes, for fear of retribution,” Beoga wrote. “Research how much Robert Kraft has done to fight the [Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions] (BDS) movement. That will give you a sense of what we’ve all been up against.”
“Up the workers. Free Palestine,” the group’s message concluded.
The exodus of Sheeran’s openers came as momentum built behind a “boycott” of his music spearheaded by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, a group based in Ramallah in the West Bank, that helped to cofound the BDS movement.
The group called on Sheeran to “cancel his now compromised US tour” and said until then, artists, audience, and crew members should “boycott it.”
🗣️ Rep. AOC tells @hicharliecotton she is boycotting Ed Sheeran because she says he's complicit in Robert Kraft and other stadium owners' efforts to silence Macklemore. pic.twitter.com/zuISc3zaFs
In response to Sheeran’s explanation that he prefers not to publicly take sides on controversial political issues despite having opinions, the group noted his estimated net worth of more than $500 million and his massive platform as one of the world’s most recognized musicians.
“As South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously said, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,’” the group said. “Sheeran had an opportunity to take a stand in solidarity with Palestinians, like millions of other British and Irish citizens have done, and refuse to cave to the pressure… He has so far failed to meet this ethical duty. But it is not too late to reverse course.”
Some Western politicians have joined the backlash and amplified calls for a boycott.
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), considered a likely presidential candidate in 2028, told a reporter she’d be changing the radio station if Ed Sheeran’s music were to come on.
“When you see what Robert Kraft did to line up all the stadiums to censor speech in that one specific way, it’s become clear it’s not just about one music artist or two music artists,” AOC said. “This is about how just a handful of stadium owners and the elite can prevent an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza.”
“But it doesn’t stop there,” she continued. “It could be speaking out about AI. It could be speaking out about any issue, that you can now just get a handful of stadium owners to ensure that an entire person’s career can be jeopardized if they speak out about any issue.”
Zarah Sultana, a member of the UK Parliament and co-founder of the left-wing Your Party, added that the artists who left Sheeran’s tour are “on the right side of history.”
“At this rate, Ed Sheeran is going to end up with Boy George opening for him,” she joked on social media, referring to the singer who released a song this summer in support of Israel’s assault on Gaza. “No one deserves to be subjected to that.”
Kehlani commented on Macklemore’s post. She experienced the same form of cancellation for her support of Palestinian rights. Julie Menin and Ritchie Torres pressured Eric Adams to cancel her concert in Central Park. pic.twitter.com/6lnHkTLsP1
Backlash against Sheeran has expanded across the entertainment industry as well, with performers including the children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel and popular musicians Kehlani, Tones and I, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, and others rallying in support of Macklemore.
And as the music news site Consequence of Sound reported, even some of Sheeran’s hardcore fans are revolting. Three prominent Sheeran fan accounts on X, which boast nearly 50,000 followers put together, spoke in solidarity with Macklemore and encouraged Sheeran to use his platform to take a stand, with some vowing to stop covering his tour until he does.
“We hope that Ed can… reflect on everything that happened and understand that, in the face of certain injustices, remaining silent or trying not to choose a side is also a stance,” wrote the Brazilian account @EdSheeranBrCom, which has more than 45,000 followers.
Ali Abunimah, the Palestinian-American journalist who co-founded The Electronic Intifada, said in a social media post that he believed that “the Ed Sheeran debacle will be seen as a turning point in pop culture complicity” with Israel, which has seen public support in the US crater since 2023, to the point where Americans, especially younger ones, now say they sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis.
Likening it to the massive cultural boycott movement against apartheid during the 1980s, Abunimah said the cultural revolt against Sheeran was “a clear ‘South Africa moment.’”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham departs 10 Downing Street, London, to attend his first Prime Minister’s Questions at the Houses of Parliament, September 9, 2026
BRITAIN is proud to be leading the way in challenging the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs today.
Speaking in the Commons a day after Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband had announced sweeping sanctions against Israeli settlements and denounced terrorist “ethnic cleansing” in Palestine, Mr Burnham said: “Britain is showing leadership.
“Words from any politician about a two-state solution will be only words if it’s not backed with action. And leadership is about taking action.
“Britain has to stand for something. Britain has to show leadership. Britain has to stand for fairness against injustice.
“Where people are being bullied out of their homes, intimidated, we will always stand with the underdog and take what action we can to support them.
“That is leadership on the world stage, Britain being true to what it’s always been about.”
Mr Miliband himself, basking in broad approval for his measures from Labour MPs for both his commitment to the new policy and for assembling support from France, Canada and elsewhere for it, brushed aside overwrought criticism of the sanctions from chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who had claimed they were “a dark day for British Jews.”
The Foreign Secretary said: “I’m a proud British Jew, and I don’t agree with the chief rabbi.
“I believe that it must be possible to do what we did, which is to stand up for British values of the rule of law, of dignity for people, of the prevention of injustice, and do so in a way, as I did yesterday, to say to anyone in our country who holds British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, that is antisemitism, pure and simple.”
He made it clear that British firms and potentially Israeli banks involved in the construction or financing of illegal West Bank settlements would be hit by the sanctions.
“We are seeking to cut off the supply of the supply lines of British finance, British construction, for settlement expansion,” Mr Miliband said.
“This is about a clear purpose, which is to draw a line in the sand and to stop this infinite, ever-expanding settlement expansion.”
He also shrugged off as “regrettable” counter-measures announced by the Netanyahu government, including the closing of the British consulate in Jerusalem and the banning of 11 MPs from visiting Israel.
“I would prefer that Israel hadn’t announced what it did, but overall, I strongly believe that what we did, along with other international allies, was absolutely the right thing to do,” the Foreign Secretary said.
The MPs sanctioned stressed it would change nothing in their attitudes and actions.
Your Party parliamentary leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement: “I have visited all parts of Palestine on several occasions, where I have witnessed the horrors of occupation, as well as the resilience and humanity of the Palestinian people.
“They are the ones who suffer from Israel’s apartheid.
“Israel doesn’t want the world to see what it is doing — but we can never give up in our attempts to expose the truth.
“That is the real scandal. Israel’s genocide cannot go unpunished — and I will keep speaking up for peace, freedom and justice for the Palestinian people.”
Fellow Your Party MP Zarah Sultana said: “Israel has just banned me from entering.
“Given that this is a fascist government presiding over genocide, apartheid and an illegal occupation, I’ll wear it as a badge of honour.
“I will not be intimidated into silence. I will continue to speak out against Israel’s genocide and against the UK’s complicity. If anything, this ban only strengthens my resolve to keep speaking out.”
She added: “One day, I look forward to visiting Jerusalem not as an occupied city, but as part of a free and liberated Palestine.”
Bradford West MP Naz Shah called the list “rather random and, frankly, bizarre” and said she was “proud of the UK government’s actions today, taken in line with our international legal obligations.”
She pledged to continue to campaign for a two-state solution in Palestine.
Labour MPs John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Richard Burgon were also on the list and all five Green MPs were sanctioned by Israel.
The Green Party said: “We will not be bullied into silence by the Israeli government.
“We are proud of our MPs for standing up for Palestinian rights and demanding an end to British complicity in genocide and illegal occupation.
“Banning our representatives only strengthens our resolve. The British government must stand firm and follow these overdue restrictions with a full arms embargo and wide-ranging sanctions.”
FILE PIC: Jeremy Corbyn takes part in a Palestine Coalition march in central London, January 31, 2026
