Labour MPs Urge Government to Accept Court Ruling on Palestine Action Ban
Labour MPs have strongly urged the Government not to appeal against a High Court ruling that declared the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group to be unlawful and "disproportionate." The backbench MPs, alongside Labour peers in the House of Lords, have also called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to retract her statement that she would "fight" the ruling, arguing that such language does not align with the dignity of her office or Labour values.
Implications of the High Court Decision
The ruling, delivered on Friday, could have significant implications for thousands of individuals arrested for supporting Palestine Action at protests across the country. Although the ban remains in effect for now, the Government has indicated plans to appeal the decision. Proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
A coalition of 26 MPs and peers, including former minister Lord Peter Hain and senior MP John McDonnell, has written to the Government urging it to abandon its appeal plans. Independent MP Diane Abbott is among the signatories, as are several Labour MPs who have previously rebelled against the Government, such as Rachael Maskell and Neil Duncan-Jordan. The letter was shared by Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell on social media platform X.
Call for Respect of the Rule of Law
In their correspondence, the MPs and peers stated: "We urge you to respect this decision, thus sending a signal that this Labour Government will promote the rule of law, even when this feels inconvenient or embarrassing in the context of past mistakes." They added that the proscription has proven "extremely counterproductive to public order, community cohesion and trust in the Government."
The letter further emphasized: "We urge you not to seek permission to appeal but instead to let the authorities differentiate between pursuing substantive serious offences and guilt by mere association." Following the court's decision, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood posted on X, vowing to "fight this judgment in the Court of Appeal." The Labour MPs and peers criticized this phrasing, requesting she "withdraw your hasty tweet which speaks of 'fighting' the court decision with more temperate language becoming your vital office of state and Labour values."
Background and Legal Context
Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori initiated legal action against the Home Office over former home secretary Yvette Cooper's decision last year to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. This decision followed the group claiming responsibility for causing an estimated £7 million in damage to military tanker planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
In a detailed 46-page ruling, Dame Victoria Sharp, alongside Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn, concluded: "We are satisfied that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was disproportionate. At its core, Palestine Action is an organisation that promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality. A very small number of its actions have amounted to terrorist action."
Since 2020, police report that the group has undertaken 385 direct actions in protest against the situation in Palestine and the actions of the Israeli government. Despite the ban remaining in place, the Metropolitan Police has indicated that officers are unlikely to arrest individuals merely for showing support for Palestine Action until the legal situation is clarified.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment with the ruling, and officials are concerned it could severely limit the Government's discretion to ban organisations in the future. This development highlights ongoing tensions between national security measures and civil liberties, with Labour figures advocating for a balanced approach that upholds the rule of law.
