How much pressure is Starmer facing over Gaza?
Coffee House Shots
The Spectator
4.4 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 29 July 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Keir Starmer says the UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting in September unless Israel meets certain conditions. As the UN warns of famine and aid agencies are raising concern about widespread starvation, countries are coming under pressure to change their approach and influence Israel. The UK's announcement follows Emmanuel Macron’s decision that France will do so in September and after more than 200 cross-party MPs signed a letter endorsing recognition.
Political editor Tim Shipman and senior associate fellow at RUSI Michael Stephens join deputy political editor James Heale to discuss the situation. Plus, as Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland comes to an end, they discuss the surprising nuance in Trump’s position on Israel which was evident when he met Starmer yesterday.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.
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Transcript
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| 0:58.6 | Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots. I'm James Hill and I'm joined today by Tim Shippman, the political editor-in-spectator, |
| 1:02.6 | a Michael Stevens Senior Associate Fellow at the Rousie Think Tank. |
| 1:06.0 | Now this afternoon, Kiyos Dama has announced our following a lengthy cabinet meeting |
| 1:09.7 | that Britain intends to |
| 1:11.1 | recognise Palestinian statehood at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in September unless a number of |
| 1:16.7 | conditions are met. The practical likelihood of that those conditions are not being met means that |
| 1:20.9 | we're likely to see the UK following France in recognising Palestine in six weeks' time. |
| 1:26.2 | Now, to discuss all this and recorded before that announcement was made is Tim and Michael. Just take us through in six weeks time. Now to discuss all this and recorded before |
| 1:27.7 | that announcement was made is Tim and Michael. Just take us through some of the pressures on |
| 1:32.4 | Kirstana because initially it seemed there was going to be no recognition perhaps a few weeks |
| 1:36.8 | ago of the state of Palestine. Then of course on Friday there was a letter signed by about a third |
| 1:41.6 | the Labour Party, half the non-payroll vote. And now it seems that we're going to see some kind of timeline, given what Jonathan Reynolds said yesterday, about potentially recognising a Palestinian state later in this Parliament. |
| 1:51.6 | Yeah, I think that's right. |
| 1:52.5 | I mean, we had, I think on Friday, it was about 220 Labour MPs had signed up and said, we need you to get on with this. |
... |
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