 | |
| Abbreviation | CfoP |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 2023[1] |
| Founder | Sayeeda Warsi, Flick Drummond |
| Location |
|
Chair | Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi[2] |
| Affiliations | Conservative Party |
| Website | www |
The Conservative Friends of Palestine (CFoP) is a parliamentary group within the British Conservative Party that promotes and advocates for "peace and justice" in Palestine[3] and is currently chaired by ex-cabinet minister Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi[2] who co-founded it with Flick Drummond.[4]
Within the first two months of founding, there were 35 Conservative MP and members of the House of Lords in the group, making up just 6% of the total, in contrast to Conservative Friends of Israel which represent two thirds of Conservative parliamentarians.[1]
Founding
It was founded in May 2023[1] with the view of being a vehicle "to provide accurate and balanced information to parliamentarians on the issue of Palestine and Israel" and was originally intended to be named the Conservative Friends of Palestine and Israel to reflect this. The perceived lack of balance within the party led to its current name.[5] It's founding was welcomed by Ben Jamal, the Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign stating that "any counter to the dominant voice of Conservative Friends of Israel in the Conservative Party is to be welcomed."[5] It was founded as a "platform to engage and learn beyond the narrow remit" of Conservative Friends of Israel.[6]
Since its founding it has engaged directly with the British-Israel and British-Palestinian communities[6] and currently works with the pro-Palestinian[4] Conservative Middle East Council to helping "lawmakers grasp the region as a whole."[5]
An unrelated, grass-root group previously existed with the same name but disbanded in late 2022,[5] which Flick Drummond claims that she and Warsi "re-founded".[6][4]
Current parliamentary members
As of 2024, the parliamentary members of the group are:[7]
| MP | Constituency |
|---|---|
| Flick Drummond | Meon Valley |
| Richard Fuller | North East Bedfordshire |
| Leo Docherty | Aldershot |
| Jonathan Lord | Woking |
| Neil O'Brien | Harborough |
| Mark Pritchard | The Wrekin |
| Edward Leigh | Gainsborough |
See also
- Labour Friends of Israel
- Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
- Conservative Friends of Israel
References
- ^ a b c Hawari, Yara (2 June 2023). "The Tories can never be true friends of Palestine". Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera Media Network. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ a b Oborne, Peter (11 September 2023). "Boycott bill: Britain's political gift to Netanyahu". Middle East Eye. Sussex Place, London. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "About CFoP". Conservative Friends of Palestine. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Shehadi, Lemma (16 May 2023). "New Conservative parliamentary group calls for UK recognition of Palestine". The National News. Abu Dhabi: International Media Investments. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d McAlpin, Nick (19 May 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: UK Conservative lawmakers create Palestine group". The New Arab. London: Fadaat Media. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ a b c McAlpin, Nick (26 May 2023). "Over 35 UK Conservative lawmakers join new Palestine group". The New Arab. London: Fadaat Media. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "Parliamentary Supporters". CFoP. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
External links
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This page was last edited on 13 May 2024, at 15:39