In a recent article on FT.com titled “Starmer suffers major rebellion over Israel-Hamas war,” it was highlighted that the UK parliament’s lack of influence over telling the state of Israel what to do is a significant issue. Despite the SNP’s motion in the Commons to back a ceasefire ultimately failing, more than 50 Labour MPs voted in favor of it. This shows that motions like these reduce parliament to a debating club with limited authority.
While there are ways to influence foreign governments, especially if their power derives in part from British manufacturing or the UK market economy, voting on a motion of righteous admonition is seen as engaging in infantile parlor games. This means that any MP who votes either way on such a motion is not effectively influencing foreign policy.
The lack of parliamentary influence on the state of Israel’s actions highlights a need for more effective methods of influencing foreign governments, rather than relying on motions that lack meaningful impact. According to Tim Cox, author and opinion writer based in Bern, Switzerland, this issue is crucial and requires immediate attention from policymakers and political leaders around the world.