LONDON: The UK Labour Party has ruled out dozens of motions on Palestine from being debated at its annual conference in Liverpool, prompting criticism from grassroots members and campaign groups who accused party officials of stifling debate, it was revealed on Saturday.
The party’s Conference Arrangements Committee, or CAC, said that more than 30 motions submitted by local constituency Labour parties and affiliated organizations were ruled out of order because the issue had already been substantially addressed in the National Policy Framework, or NPF, report published in August.
Under party rules, only contemporary motions on subjects not covered by the NPF are eligible for debate.
Delegates have until Sunday evening to appeal against the CAC’s decisions, with hearings due on Monday. The conference begins on Sept. 28.
Labour leader and prime minister, Keir Starmer, is preparing to recognize Palestine as an independent state, a move expected this weekend. However, many Labour members and MPs argue that the government should go further by ceasing all arms trade and military cooperation with Israel, and by introducing comprehensive sanctions.
