Labour MPs back Corbyn’s calls for Chilcot-style inquiry into UK’s role in Gaza war
A number of Labour MPs have backed calls for Sir Keir Starmer to hold a Chilcot-style inquiry into the UK’s role in the Gaza war.
Thirty-seven MPs, including 10 from Labour, have signed a letter to the prime minister by Jeremy Corbyn, who has demanded a “comprehensive inquiry with legal power to establish the truth”.
Among the signatories are Labour MPs Brian Leishman and Steve Witherden, who were both elected last July, and those on the left including Diane Abbott, Zarah Sultana and Nadia Whittome.
It has also gained the support of MPs in the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein and members of the House of Lords.
Support for the letter, seen by Sky News, risks reigniting internal Labour divisions over Gaza, just as Israel faces accusations of “control and censorship” for denying entry and then deporting two of MPs who had travelled there with a parliamentary delegation.
Israel said it refused entry to Labour’s Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang because it believed they were there to “provoke anti-Israel activities” and spread “anti-Israel hatred”.
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Why were two Labour MPs denied entry to Israel?
The two MPs, who said they were visiting humanitarian aid projects in the West Bank, have received the support of Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said the decision was “unacceptable” and no way to treat British parliamentarians”.
Israel is also facing questions over the deaths of 15 emergency workers who were killed near the southern city of Rafah on 23 March and then buried in a “mass grave”, according to Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN’s humanitarian affairs office.
A preliminary inquiry by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has found that the troops opened fire on a group of vehicles in Gaza, including ambulances, due to a “perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area”.
The IDF also said the early investigation indicated six of those who died “were identified as Hamas terrorists” – although no evidence was presented.
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Phone footage contradicts Israeli claims of killing of Gaza medics
Labour tensions over Gaza
Sky News understands that Mr Corbyn may seek to force a vote on the issue of an inquiry, potentially through a private members’ bill (PMB), which allows backbench MPs to propose changes to the law.
However, PMBs are rarely successful without government backing.
Internal Labour tensions over Gaza were exposed following Sir Keir’s immediate response to Israel launching its incursion into the enclave after the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October.
The Labour leader drew criticism for an interview he gave to LBC in which he appeared to suggest that Israel had a right to limit essential supplies, including water and electricity, to Gaza.
He later said he was only referring to the right Israel had to defend itself.
The 7 October attack killed 1,200 Israelis and saw about 250 taken hostage.
More than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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Sky challenges Israeli govt over medic death claims
‘Evasion, obstruction and silence’
Mr Corbyn, who sits as an independent MP after he was blocked from standing for Labour at the last election, said he had repeatedly sought answers on the continued sale of components for F-35 jets to Israel, the role of British military bases and the legal definition of genocide – but had been met with “evasion, obstruction and silence”.
As a result, the government was “leaving the public in the dark over the ways in which the responsibilities of government have been discharged”, Mr Corbyn argued.
Drawing parallels with the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war – which found the UK’s decision to invade was based on “flawed intelligence and assessments” – Mr Corbyn said history was at risk of “repeating itself”.
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The Chilcot report, which was published in 2016 following a series of delays, criticised former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair for not consulting his cabinet before giving George W Bush assurances the UK would be with him “whatever”, eight months before the invasion began.
It also said the circumstances leading up to the then attorney general’s controversial advice that the war was legal – without a second UN resolution – were “far from satisfactory”.
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In his letter, Mr Corbyn said the inquiry he was calling for “should establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had”.
“Any meaningful inquiry would require the full co-operation from government ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023,” he added.
“Many people believe the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law.
“These charges will not go away until there is a comprehensive, public, independent inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth.”
Sky News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
Politics
UK-US trade deal ‘isn’t worth the paper it’s written on’, says Nobel Prize-winning economist
A Nobel Prize-winning economist has told Sky News the recently announced UK-US trade deal “isn’t worth the paper it’s written on”.
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump announced the “first-of-a-kind” agreement with a live, televised phone call earlier this week – and the British prime minister hailed the deal as one that will save thousands of jobs in the UK.
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But leading economist Joseph Stiglitz has told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips he “wouldn’t view [the deal] as a great achievement”.
“Any agreement with Trump isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” he said, pointing out the president signed deals with Canada and Mexico during his first term – only to slap them with hiked tariffs within days of returning to the White House this year.
“I would view it as playing into Trump’s strategy,” he said.
“His strategy is divide and conquer, go after the weakest countries, and sort of put the stronger countries in the back.”
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How good is the UK-US deal?
The scramble to secure a UK-US trade deal was sparked by Mr Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ announcement last month, which saw the president hike import tariffs for multiple countries and subsequently send global markets crashing.
China initially faced tariffs of 34% and when Beijing hit the US with retaliatory rates, a trade war quickly ensued.
The US and China now impose tariffs of above 100% on each other, but representatives from the two countries have this weekend met for high-stakes negotiations.
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Donald Trump, with US vice president JD Vance and Britain’s ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, announcing the deal. Pic: AP
Sir Keir Starmer dialled in for the deal announcement. Pic: AP
With its response to Mr Trump, Beijing “made it very clear that the US is very dependent on China in so many ways,” Mr Stiglitz said.
“So they’re beginning now to negotiate, but from a position of strength.”
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Asked if he thinks the UK should have focused on its relationship with the EU instead of the US, Mr Stiglitz said: “Very much so.
“My view is that if you had worked with the EU to get a good deal, you could have done better than what you’ve done.
“If it turns out, in the end, when you work it all out, Trump is unhappy, he’ll run. If he’s unhappy, I pray for you.”
Among the terms in the UK-US trade deal are reduced tariffs on British car and steel exports to the US, while the UK has agreed to remove a tariff on ethanol, used to produce beer.
The agreement also opens a new agricultural exchange, with US farmers being given access to the UK for the first time – though UK food standards on imports have not been weakened.
UFC fighter turned Irish political candidate Conor McGregor has endorsed the idea of building a Bitcoin reserve in his country to give more “power back to the people.”
“Crypto in it’s origin was founded to give power back to the people. An Irish Bitcoin strategic reserve will give power to the people’s money,” McGregor wrote to X on May 9.
The former UFC champion said he would discuss his plans in more detail in an upcoming X spaces, prompting responses from some of the Bitcoin industry’s most prominent leaders.
“We need the greatest minds for this BTC Reserve. Message me and lets chat on my space,” McGregor said in response to Bitcoiner and host of The Pomp Podcast, Anthony Pompliano.
One of US President Donald Trump’s crypto advisors, David Bailey, also reached out, to which McGregor responded: “David message me, let’s discuss your ideas!”
McGregor announced his independent candidacy for the Irish presidency in late March 2025, centering his campaign on anti-immigration policies and combating crime.
Ireland’s next presidential election must take place by Nov. 11, 2025, as the term of the current President, Michael D. Higgins, is set to end the day after.
Establishing a Bitcoin reserve — let alone one coming from a minor, independent party — would be no easy feat.
Despite recent regulatory progress, the US, El Salvador and Bhutan are among the few countries that have established a Bitcoin reserve to date.
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McGregor’s political visibility was recently boosted by a trip to the White House, where he met Trump and received his support.
However, McGregor is facing intense scrutiny in Ireland, having recently been found guilty of sexual assault in a civil case — a conviction which he has since appealed — while also previously being investigated for hate speech crimes.
McGregor’s last crypto endeavor failed
McGregor’s push for a Bitcoin reserve comes a little over a month after the McGregor-backed REAL project failed to attract sufficient funding in its token launch pre-sale, prompting a full refund to all token bidders.
The team behind the project, Real World Gaming, only raised $392,315 over a 28-hour presale on April 5 and 6, less than half of the $1 million minimum requirement that it initially set.
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Sir Keir Starmer has joined other European leaders in Kyiv to press Russia to agree an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
The prime minister is attending the summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled to Ukraine at the same time – arriving in the capital by train – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kyiv. Pic: Reuters
Leaders arrive in Kyiv by train. Pic: PA
It comes after Donald Trump called for “ideally” a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and warned that if any pause in the fighting is not respected “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions”.
Security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington the European leaders are “rowing in behind” the US president, who referred to his “European allies” for the first time in this context in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“So this meeting is all about heaping pressure on the Russians to go along with the American proposal,” he said.
“It’s the closest the Europeans and the US have been for about three months on this issue.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron among world leaders in Kyiv. Pic: AP
Trump calls for ceasefire. Pic: Truth Social
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies are ready for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days starting on Monday.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement.
European leaders show solidarity – but await Trump’s backing
The hope is Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, such as it’s worth, can be extended for a month to give peace a chance.
But ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian sources told Sky News they are still waiting for President Donald Trump to put his full weight behind the idea.
The US leader has said a 30-day ceasefire would be ideal, but has shown no willingness yet for putting pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin to agree.
The Russians say a ceasefire can only come after a peace deal can be reached.
European allies are still putting their hopes in a negotiated end to the war despite Moscow’s intransigence and President Trump’s apparent one-sided approach favouring Russia.
Ukrainians would prefer to be given enough economic and military support to secure victory.
But in over three years, despite its massive economic superiority to Russia and its access to more advanced military technology, Europe has not found the political will to give Kyiv the means to win.
Until they do, Vladimir Putin may decide it is still worth pursuing this war despite its massive cost in men and materiel on both sides.
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
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Putin’s Victory Day parade explained
The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for a coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
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This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
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