I watched a video of an exchange between Kit Malthouse, the Tory MP, and David Lammy MP, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on Monday. Hansard recorded the exchange like this:
Kit Malthouse
(North West Hampshire) (Con)<
Like others in this House, I am frankly astonished at the statement of the Foreign Secretary. At a time when we have got daily lynchings and expulsions on the west bank, and dozens being murdered as they beg for aid, I am just beyond words at his inaction—and, frankly, complicity by inaction. He said himself that there is a massive prison camp being constructed in the south of Gaza and he knows that leading genocide scholars from across the world are ringing the alarm bells, yet he has the temerity to show up in this House and wave his cheque book as if that is going to salve his conscience. Can he not see that his inaction and, frankly, cowardice are making this country irrelevant? Can he also not see the personal risk to him, given our international obligations—that he may end up at The Hague because of his inaction? Finally, frankly, I make an appeal to Labour Back Benchers: we cannot get your leadership to change their minds; only you can, if you organise and insist on change.
Mr Lammy
I understand the fury that the right hon. Gentleman feels, but I have to tell him—
Kit Malthouse
Why don't you feel it?
Mr Lammy
I have to tell him that it demeans his argument when he personalises it in the way that he does. It is unbecoming, and not something the House expects, particularly of its more senior Members.
And that was it.
Giving credit where it is due, Kit Malthouse has been a strong, appropriate, and brave advocate for Palestine in the House of Commons, and his interventions are consistent with those that many here might support.
David Lammy has been anything but brave or appropriate. Even now, when he describes what he is seeing happening in Gaza, he is taking no appropriate actions to back up his words.
The RAF is still supporting Israeli intelligence. It flew over Gaza yesterday, and reconnaissance for Israel can be the only explanation for it doing so.
We are still making sales of arms to Israel, including components for fighter jets.
The sanctions that we have imposed upon a few Israeli's are token gestures and inconsequential.
No broad-based platform of sanctions on Israeli goods has been proposed, or implemented.
Frankly, I hear what Lammy says, but I do not believe a word of it. It is not what a person says in situations such as this that matters. It is their actions that count, and his actions, and those of Keir Starmer, including to the Liaison Committee, condemn them.
The warning that Malthouse gave Lammy, that he might find himself in The Hague, was, I think, entirely appropriate and timely, coming at the close of the parliamentary session.
In contrast, Lammy's response was disgusting. In summary, this is a man who thinks that Parliamentary etiquette is more important than the deaths of maybe 60,000 Palestinians in a genocide deliberately perpetrated by Israel, which is still on going, and which he could take direct action to curtail, but won't.
Pomposity is rarely more evident than that which Lammy displayed. Frankly, I sincerely hope that his pride is the precursor to a fall, because that is what he deserves.
And what Kit Malthouse predicts for Lammy would, I think, be nothing less than he deserves. All I would add is that Starmer would need to be standing in the dock alongside him, together with John Healy, our defence secretary.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
There are links to this blog's glossary in the above post that explain technical terms used in it. Follow them for more explanations.
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Buy me a coffee!
Thank you for highlighting this “exchange”.
Might it also indicate the futility of the House of Commons as an instrument for effective explanation and its sibling which is real responsibility?
Might this traditional mechanism of/for our (alleged) democracy be, in reality, a form of shallow, theatrical obstruction to such which needs reform based on practicalities of communication, research, deep discussion and really representative actions?
Even the Daily Express has had enough
NB its not a pretty picture
https://x.com/thatbloodyMikey/status/1947780209463464022
Agreed
But it is right
John, I looked and also read comments from the Express readers.
They are equally shocking in a different way. The top rated comments show a callous indifference to human suffering and overt racism.
That’s more or less what I told my Junior Minister MP in an email the other day. Again.
I remind them of the complicity issue.
This time I specifically asked for my comments to be passed to Lammy.
I expect I will get a reply with a photo of him wringing his hands, telling me that although Israel’s actions are “intolerable”, he’s going to carry on tolerating them while innocent people die in the illegally occupied territories.
I read today that UK and Canada are applying pressure on France, NOT to put pressure on Israel. That’s how “intolerable” Lammy finds it.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/22/starmer-under-pressure-from-cabinet-to-recognise-palestinian-statehood
I see Wes Streeting is making waves, I’d love to think he was sincere but his majority of only 528 may be influencing his rhetoric.
Streeting almost lost his seat to a pro-Palestine independent. That could well be influencing his views on the matter! If only more Labour MPs had similar problems.
Lammy’s pathetic response is a classic example of what is known as “Labourism”, the political doctrine that has guided Labour politicians since the foundation of the party – more concern for respecting parliamentary formalities than the action that the time, the circumstances and the vast majority of the nation expect or demand.
Labourism is best understood as the diluting of progressive political impulses by a willingness to work within the confines of the existing hegemony of stifling tradition and inadequate structures of government, which exist to maintain the ultimately anti-democratic status quo. Starmer and Reeves are currently confined by this overly powerful small ‘c’ conservative doctrine, and it has basically caused all previous Labour governments to fail.
Real change, which the country needs, will never occur while Westminster is concerned with life in a bubble that needs bursting. Perhaps proper independence for the constituent nations, and proper regional autonomy in England would be the needles that do the popping, and we could set out creating the vastly better governance that Britain needs.
Sorry for the rant, but that is how I feel.
Rant permitted
My apologies for waving The Saltire but I don’t believe that it has been widely reported that Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, has written to Keir Starmer to ask for the UK’s assistance to bring injured children from Gaza to Scotland for treatment. Came answer from the UK’s prime minister, there was none.
Heartbreaking, appalling – it is impossible to find words to describe the barbarity of events in Palestine and the Westminster government’s casual indifference to it. Empathy is right out!
Agreed
And supported
Thank you and well said, Richard.
For his pains, THE lobby, who are swift to deny their existence, are mobilising against Malthouse and threatening the other Tories who have spoken out Malthouse was compared to Corbyn. That’s the new Zionist insult.
This is where we need a public enquiry – into Zionism and the legitimisation of genocide.
Those of us who saw, from inside the Labour Party, antisemitism cynically weaponised against Corbyn, from the moment he emerged as a front-runner in the 2015 leadership contest, are very familiar with the contents of the antisemitism playbook, and recognise it, when it is being used against individuals, and institutions. We recognise the insincere hypocritical organisations that subscribe to it, because that is so much simpler than making a fact-based case to support Israel and the citizens of Israel and diaspora Jews against real “hatred of Jews for being Jews”.
Different editions of the AS playbook exist depending on the context – inside a political party – in academia (staff & student editions available), in media – broadcast and printed/online press – within religious organisations (where words like unbiblical, antichrist, demonic, Satanic and heretic can be deployed effectively) – in social media (especially if you own the platform) – in publishing – for repressing demonstrations and dissent – for preventing political meetings, lectures or film showings – for restricting funding of contrary opinion – and ultimately for neutralising anyone/anything that seeks to criticise the actions of the modern secular state of Israel. This is how to weaponise AS… and it is in full swing now.
1. Broaden the definition of AS, so that it can include anti-Zionism, BDS, criticism of Israel or the IDF, flying a Palestine flag anywhere it might “upset” someone, just referring to The Lobby.
2. Always use emotive language – appalling, horrific, disgraceful, despicable. AS is always “deeply held” AS.
3. Use a committed hardened campaigner pretending to be a frightened vulnerable member of the Jewish public (particularly effective for Israeli-Embassy trained “ordinary” and unnamed young Labour party members in BBC documentaries)
4. Presume guilt to start with, and avoid the facts. A smear of AS, is more effective than the truth.
5. Blackmail the institution before any fair hearing can take place, or threaten the venue in which a meeting will occur so the event is cancelled.
6. Tell lies and make spurious complaints.
7. Emphasise the Holocaust, and claim Holocaust denial by your opponent.
8. Claim to no longer feel safe in your neighbourhood, institution, party, country.
9. Be particularly hostile to opponents who happen to be anti-zionist or pro Palestine AND Jewish, and abuse them worst of all as traitors to the cause as well as being antisemitic.
10. Try and get employed people sacked, doxing them if necessary to their employer.
11. If your opponent wins at tribunal or in court, make sure the costs cripple them.
12. Conflate Jewishness with support for Israel. (If your opponent does this, it is antisemitic but if Netanyahu does it, that is okay).
13. Ignore anyone who tries to warn you that weaponising AS in this way puts diaspora Jews at risk, because actually that doesn’t matter to you.
14. If necessary, form unholy alliances with the fascist far right, to advance your cause.
I could go on. Once you’ve learned how the AS playbook works, it does make you VERY cynical indeed, which can predispose you to ignore REAL AS.
REAL AS is as wrong now as it always has been. No one should hate Jews for either their ethnicity or religion.
But those who cynically weaponise AS don’t care one jot about ordinary diaspora Jews, because, for the Lobby, AS is a powerful political tool, not a serious form of racism.
I’m sure a few more people will be having some Black Sabbath moments today after yesterday’s news. I think a few lines from one of their most powerful songs would be appropriate here.
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing, spreads his wings
They’re coming for you and your ilk, Lammy.
We can live in hope
I’m sure a few more people will be having some Black Sabbath moments today after yesterday’s news. I think a few lines from one of their most powerful songs would be appropriate here.
‘ No more war pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour,
Day of judgement, God is calling, On their knees, the war pigs crawling,
Begging mercy for their sins,
Satan laughing, spreads his wings .’
They’re coming for you and your ilk, Lammy. We can live in hope
As our government is imposing increasingly draconian restrictions on our right to protest I have today begun the petition process with the government to formally canvas public opinion with regard to the nightmare situation in Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank and this is now under review.
In lieu of that I have also published this on 38Degrees which I would respectfully implore the community here to give consideration to signing and sharing as widely as possible.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/demand-that-the-government-formally-canvas-public-opinion-on-the-situation-in-palestine?source=rawlink&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=rawlink&share=9cd109a6-72de-455d-9715-f86fc540543a
I am ashamed of us and all our so called “western values” . What does it mean anymore? The OEC (Observatory of Economic Complexity) issue trade statistics today showing that despite the genocide and feeble cries for the war to stop trade continues. The UK imported 2.12B from Israel in 2023 and exported 1.858B, Canada continued to import 974M and 386 in exports, even Spain who so far seems to have been one of the “good guys” in at least recognising Palestinian statehood continued to import1.06B and export 1.92B. Judges at the ICC have been sanctioned by the US for their temerity of accusing Netanyahu of war crimes; we need every gutless national leader to be so sanctioned.