Calum Miller (Bicester and Woodstock)
X: @CalumMillerLD. More here.
"In short, we need an immediate ceasefire now. The Liberal Democrats were the first national party to call for this. Our leaders, Layla Moran and Ed Davey, were right then and are right now. Too many innocent civilians are caught up in a terrible loss of life, insecurity and the destruction of their homes and communities.
The current conflict between Israel and Hamas reflects deep differences that the international community must act to mediate. Our long-term goal must be a two-state solution in which both peoples can live in safety. The perpetrators of the attacks of 7 October should be brought to justice and those still held hostage immediately released by Hamas. At the same time, international law must be upheld and the actions by the Israeli Defense Force also scrutinised to establish whether they have protected Palestinian civilians, as they are obliged to do."
Updated response:
"As you will be aware, the Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, is the UK's first and only British-Palestinian MP. I know Calum has had many conversations with her about this and respects the leadership she has shown in parliament.
At this dark moment, the UK Government should be doing all it can to stop the violence and secure an immediate bilateral ceasefire - to put an end to the humanitarian devastation in Gaza, get the hostages out and restart a process towards a two-state solution.
We need an immediate ceasefire now. The Liberal Democrats were the first national UK party to call for this and have been calling for an immediate bilateral ceasefire since November 2023. Our leaders, Layla Moran and Ed Davey, were right then and are right now. Too many innocent civilians are caught up in a terrible loss of life, insecurity and the destruction of their homes and communities. We are absolutely clear that this is the only way to end the killing, to restore the flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid, and to get the hostages back to their loved ones.
The UK should also immediately recognise Palestine as a state, following the recent example of Ireland, Norway and Spain. This step would provide hope for millions of Palestinians that peace and a Palestinian state is possible. We have historic obligations to the region and modern responsibilities under international law. It’s time for the UK Government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. Liberal Democrats will continue to advocate for immediate recognition of Palestine as a state in the next Parliament.
The Liberal Democrats also continue to urge that international law is upheld and the rulings of international courts such as the ICC and the ICJ are respected. The perpetrators of the attacks of 7 October should be brought to justice and those still held hostage immediately released by Hamas. At the same time, international law must be upheld and the actions by the Israeli Defense Force also scrutinised to establish whether they have protected Palestinian civilians, as they are obliged to do.
The Liberal Democrats have also urged the UK Government to cease the export of British arms to Israel, given the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We are committed to improving the UK’s control of arms exports and want to limit arms trade with countries who have poor human rights records.
Layla Moran has been working hard to raise these issues in Parliament. She wrote to the Foreign Secretary about the urgent need to restore UNRWA's funding. Layla has tabled the Palestinian Statehood (Recognition) Bill every session she could since first being elected to Parliament in 2017. The Bill was debated in 2023 and you can read the debate here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-03-17/debates/780A1439-3B1F-4A42-A308-E0A0D921BAF3/PalestineStatehood(Recognition)Bill.
We will continue to call for a ceasefire, stand up for the rule of international law, argue for the recognition of Palestine and make the case for a two state solution, which is the only route to an enduring peace."