21 October 2026

SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has challenged the Prime Minister to review the proscription of Palestine Action, warning that the designation is having "extraordinary consequences for freedom of expression" while the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, the SDLP Leader highlighted the case of three-year-old Maryam Ghanem, who was pulled from the wreckage of her home after an Israeli airstrike killed her mother.

Ms Hanna also pointed to the impact of the proscription on free expression, citing the decision by publisher Faber to cease distributing the works of Irish novelist Sally Rooney in the UK after the author pledged to donate her royalties to Palestine Action.

Claire Hanna MP said:

"Today I challenged the Prime Minister and his government to finally review the proscription of Palestine Action, rather than waiting for the courts to determine whether the previous government got this decision wrong.

"Labour ministers have acknowledged serious failings in the UK's response to the horrors unfolding in Gaza. Yet this proscription remains in place, with severe consequences for freedom of expression for many, including terror charges for peaceful protest.

"The whole world is watching the immense suffering caused by the genocide in Gaza, and people are rightly questioning why the UK Government is standing over a decision that risks narrowing democratic space and restricting legitimate political expression.

"The Prime Minister should review this decision urgently, and overturn the unjustified proscription of Palestine Action."