A recent poll of Labour members found 68% were in support of a government suspension of the UK-Israel trade agreement, with 16% opposing this. Four in five members who voted for Lucy Powell in the 2025 Deputy Leader election supported this suspension compared to under half of Bridget Phillipson voters. These figures result from a survey conducted by Survation at the end of May, consisting of 1,036 Labour Party members via the LabourList readership on their views about the UK government’s approach towards the occupied Palestine territory on behalf of Save the Children, Christian Aid, and Medical Aid for Palestinians. 

Furthermore, almost nine in ten respondents supported a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements (87%) and 6% oppose it. Suspension of all arms exports to Israel also had support from the majority of members (78%), and attracted a slightly higher percentage of opposition than the ban (14%). Both approaches garnered significantly more support from Lucy Powell voters than Bridget Phillipson voters, though the majority of Phillipson voters did back an arms suspension.

The majority support for all three policies and the government’s inaction on sanctioning Israel have made for a discontented Labour member base. Three in five were dissatisfied with the government’s approach to occupied Palestinian territory so far, whereas only one in five were satisfied. The significance of the issue to members when deciding on the party’s next leader appears to have fed into this dissatisfaction with the government’s actions so far: 58% said the government’s approach is an important factor, though it is not important for 41%. 

Keir Starmer’s departure from the prime minesterial position has been announced and a Labour leadership election is now on the horizon. Labour members will welcome this opportunity for the new leader of the Labour party to reconcile the government’s actions with the majority of the membership’s views on the issues crucial to them, one of which being the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. Majority support for all three policies, including overwhelming support for a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, makes it clear how realignment of leadership and membership can be partly achieved.

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Get the data

Survation conducted a poll of 1,036 Labour party members via LabourList’s database on behalf of Save the Children, Christian Aid, and Medical Aid for Palestine between the 22nd – 26th May 2026. Tables are available here.

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