Labour MP says Britain trying to promote peace is ‘colonial mentality’
Rachel Reeves put on spot over David Lammy Palestine fringe event
Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has said Britain has a particular responsibility for the “general crisis” in the Middle East, claiming the UK’s record is “nothing to be proud of”.
She added Britain has a “record of betrayal, duplicity, oppression and discrimination”.
At a pro-Palestine rally this evening, Ms Ribeiro-Addy argued that while Britain often sees itself as an “even-handed arbiter between two warring factions”, this was in fact a modern “colonial mentality”.
“It used to be claimed that the Empire was bringing civilization and preventing lesser peoples from tearing each other apart.
“But there is a modern version of this mentality, which is that the tribes continue to war with each other, but we’re doing everything we can to promote peace.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine mob yells ‘shame on you’ at Jewish man outside Labour conference
“It is really a colonial mentality long after nearly all the colonies have gone.”
The Corbynite MP said we could see the “rubble of the empire… all around us”, laying blame at the door of British foreign policy.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy added that Tory politicians had recently “talked about creating Empire 2.0”, despite no proof of the claim.
The meeting was particularly strict about journalists filming or recording the well-attended meeting, though the Streatham MP said she would record her own speech to prevent “any misunderstanding in the ranks of our press”.
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Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell opened the rally with a touching personal tribute to the death of children in both Israel and Gaza.
“I wanted to start by saying something first of all I’m a dad. I’m a granddad.
“My children are the most precious gift I’ve ever received in my life.
“So I have to say this to the scenes of what happened in Israel and to those young people at the Music Festival was horrifying and shocking.
“I can’t imagine what those parents are going through. So that’s why I do condemn the killing of innocence. I do condemn the killing those innocents by Hamas.
“But as a father and a grandfather, my heart also goes out to the parents of the children killed in Gaza.”
In his measured speech, he spoke of fears Israeli bombings and blockages of water and food will create a “nightmare situation” in the territory, and said all must be done to “avoid more tragedy and more bloodshed”.
This evening shadow cabinet member Afzal Khan was forced to apologise after posing with the ‘Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ stall at Labour conference.
Mr Khan posed for a photo at the PSC stall just a day after they organised a protest outside the Israeli embassy, despite Israel being on the receiving end of the bloody terrorist invasion.
He said: “I want to apologise for any offence caused by stopping by the PSC stall at this time”.
“I unequivocally condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas and support Israel’s right to defend itself.”
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