Call on Douglas Alexander to hold East Lothian public meeting on Gaza
The Issue
Many people in East Lothian are strongly opposed to the UK government’s continuing support for Israel as a ‘friend and ally’ in the face of the genocide, ethnic cleansing and man-made starvation taking place in Gaza, and of Israel’s actions in the West Bank. Like the majority of British people, they want every concrete action possible taken to pressure Israel to agree to an immediate cease fire and the resumption of unimpeded UN-distributed aid, via reopened border crossings. We are asking Mr Alexander, Labour MP for Lothian East (and now Scottish Secretary) to arrange a public meeting so that his constituents can make their views plain, and can ask questions and receive clear answers as to why the UK government is pursuing this policy of support for Israel. This would also give them the chance to ask Mr Alexander why he is not fulfilling his obligation to them by reflecting their views in Parliament.
This petition is a continuation of the paper petition circulated at an event in Haddington in support of Gaza on 30 August. 100 people put their names to the petition in Haddington in the space of two hours, a further 20 did so at a subsequent meeting in North Berwick. So far, Mr Alexander has not responded to the request for a meeting. If you would like to add your voice to the call for one, and are a Lothian East constituent of voting age, we very much hope you will sign this online petition.
Recent UK-wide polls have shown a clear majority of British people want strong action taken to pressure Israel to stop what it is doing in Gaza. One poll in June (and the numbers have surely increased since then) showed 62% support for sanctions being imposed on Israel until it stops its attacks on Gaza; 65% for banning all arms sales; 60% for suspending its existing trade deal with the UK. The increasing number of events and meetings taking place across East Lothian in the past few months, in solidarity with Gaza and the West Bank, suggest a similar majority opinion in the county.
In complete contrast the UK government continues to rely largely on strongly-worded statements to push Israel into a change of direction. As recently as 9 September, they announced, in language worthy of ‘Yes Minister’, that they had not concluded that Israel was acting with specific intent to destroy in whole or in part the Palestinians in Gaza, and that they had therefore not been able to conclude that a serious risk of genocide existed. They neglected to explain how Israel has unintentionally managed to kill currently (16/9/2025) over 64,000 people in Gaza, 83% of them civilians; to create a man-made famine, “a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land”; to damage or destroy over 90% of the housing stock: to damage or demolish hospitals, schools, religious and cultural sites, power and sanitation infrastructure; and to displace over 90% of the population, the majority multiple times. The Westminster stance is directly contradicted by a United Nations commission of inquiry, which, on 16 September 2025, publicly stated that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Based on his recent public statements, Douglas Alexander’s views are in line with those of the Westminster Labour government, and at odds with majority public opinion and the views of his constituents. The following are some examples. In an adjournment debate in the House of Commons, on 2 June, Mr Alexander “rejected calls to end trade between the UK and Israel” and defended the government’s current ‘arms and military cargo’ export licences stance towards Israel. On the continuing supply of F-35 parts, he stressed that none were going ‘directly’ to Israel and claimed it would be impossible to prevent parts going into the global supply network from ending up there. On 12 June, in the Commons, he declined to support the call for an end to the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank.
A public meeting will give Mr Alexander an opportunity to explain why he believes that his stance on Gaza, and that of the UK government, best serves the interests of his constituents and is in compliance with international humanitarian law.
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The Issue
Many people in East Lothian are strongly opposed to the UK government’s continuing support for Israel as a ‘friend and ally’ in the face of the genocide, ethnic cleansing and man-made starvation taking place in Gaza, and of Israel’s actions in the West Bank. Like the majority of British people, they want every concrete action possible taken to pressure Israel to agree to an immediate cease fire and the resumption of unimpeded UN-distributed aid, via reopened border crossings. We are asking Mr Alexander, Labour MP for Lothian East (and now Scottish Secretary) to arrange a public meeting so that his constituents can make their views plain, and can ask questions and receive clear answers as to why the UK government is pursuing this policy of support for Israel. This would also give them the chance to ask Mr Alexander why he is not fulfilling his obligation to them by reflecting their views in Parliament.
This petition is a continuation of the paper petition circulated at an event in Haddington in support of Gaza on 30 August. 100 people put their names to the petition in Haddington in the space of two hours, a further 20 did so at a subsequent meeting in North Berwick. So far, Mr Alexander has not responded to the request for a meeting. If you would like to add your voice to the call for one, and are a Lothian East constituent of voting age, we very much hope you will sign this online petition.
Recent UK-wide polls have shown a clear majority of British people want strong action taken to pressure Israel to stop what it is doing in Gaza. One poll in June (and the numbers have surely increased since then) showed 62% support for sanctions being imposed on Israel until it stops its attacks on Gaza; 65% for banning all arms sales; 60% for suspending its existing trade deal with the UK. The increasing number of events and meetings taking place across East Lothian in the past few months, in solidarity with Gaza and the West Bank, suggest a similar majority opinion in the county.
In complete contrast the UK government continues to rely largely on strongly-worded statements to push Israel into a change of direction. As recently as 9 September, they announced, in language worthy of ‘Yes Minister’, that they had not concluded that Israel was acting with specific intent to destroy in whole or in part the Palestinians in Gaza, and that they had therefore not been able to conclude that a serious risk of genocide existed. They neglected to explain how Israel has unintentionally managed to kill currently (16/9/2025) over 64,000 people in Gaza, 83% of them civilians; to create a man-made famine, “a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land”; to damage or destroy over 90% of the housing stock: to damage or demolish hospitals, schools, religious and cultural sites, power and sanitation infrastructure; and to displace over 90% of the population, the majority multiple times. The Westminster stance is directly contradicted by a United Nations commission of inquiry, which, on 16 September 2025, publicly stated that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Based on his recent public statements, Douglas Alexander’s views are in line with those of the Westminster Labour government, and at odds with majority public opinion and the views of his constituents. The following are some examples. In an adjournment debate in the House of Commons, on 2 June, Mr Alexander “rejected calls to end trade between the UK and Israel” and defended the government’s current ‘arms and military cargo’ export licences stance towards Israel. On the continuing supply of F-35 parts, he stressed that none were going ‘directly’ to Israel and claimed it would be impossible to prevent parts going into the global supply network from ending up there. On 12 June, in the Commons, he declined to support the call for an end to the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank.
A public meeting will give Mr Alexander an opportunity to explain why he believes that his stance on Gaza, and that of the UK government, best serves the interests of his constituents and is in compliance with international humanitarian law.
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Petition created on 16 September 2025