Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell has come under fire after attending a pro-Palestine reception in Parliament, with critics accusing senior government figures of attempting to distance themselves from policies they say enabled Israel's war on Gaza .
Powell joined Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at Monday's reception hosted by Labour Friends of Palestine & Middle East (LFPME), a parliamentary group within the party, despite the Labour government's continued support for Israel and its decision last year to proscribe the direct action group Palestine Action.
The appearance prompted a wave of criticism online, with opponents accusing Labour ministers of hypocrisy for publicly aligning themselves with the Palestinian cause while maintaining policies that have enabled Israel’s military campaign.
"For the past two and a half years, the UK government has armed a genocide as it was livestreamed around the world. Now, some politicians are pretending they have always been against the crimes they enabled, justified or normalised," Independent MP and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told The New Arab .
The MP said that when the war first broke out, those who opposed it pleaded with political leaders, both Conservative and Labour, to speak out against the war crimes being committed in the enclave, but to no avail.
"Today, some MPs are taking the strategic decision to backtrack on the reality of their unwavering support, frightened by the electoral consequences of their shameful complicity," Corbyn said, adding that it's coming "Too little, too late".
In a post on X, Powell wrote : "The Labour Party's commitment to justice, freedom and security for Palestinians is unwavering."
Many users and politicians pointed to the UK government's continued support for Israel, including its refusal to halt arms exports to the country.
Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski was among those condemning the event. Writing on X, he said it was "awful to see senior Labour politicians, whose government has helped arm Israel's genocide in Gaza, now expressing sympathy for the victims they played their part in creating", adding: "This is gaslighting."
"It is utterly grotesque to see Labour MPs, and even Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, posing for a photo opportunity at a Labour Friends for Palestine event while their own government continues to arm Israel and enable the genocidal assault on Gaza," Polanski said, expanding on his criticism to The New Arab . "Enough empty gestures."
"The bare minimum this Labour government must do is immediately end arms exports to Israel, impose comprehensive sanctions on the Israeli government, and hand over any intelligence gathered by RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza to the international courts," he added.
Polanski also criticised Labour's potential next leader — and, with Labour in government, its next prime minister — Andy Burnham for refusing to say that Israel is committing genocide, despite a UN Commission of Inquiry concluding that Israel continues to target children as part of what it described as an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
"Labour must also stop branding non-violent Palestine solidarity activists as terrorists while refusing to take meaningful action to stop the mass violence being inflicted on civilians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon," he added.
"These performative displays of solidarity are an insult to the Palestinians whose suffering our government continues to enable."
While Powell is a member of LFPME, she is also a member of Labour Friends of Israel according to a 2025 list of ministers' interests from the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.
The MP also asserted Israel's right to self-defence, while stressing that international law must be upheld.
The reception was also attended by the State of Palestine's Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot , and Labour MP Hamish Falconer.
LFPME has faced being "sidelined" or "defanged" inside the governing party alongside wider fights over the party's stance on Gaza, Israel, and internal discipline.
Powell's attendance comes amid a noticeable shift among Labour MPs towards a more openly pro-Palestine stance, with reports pointing to growing pressure within the party for tougher action on Israel, including support for an arms embargo, recognition of a Palestinian state, and stronger condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza.