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Lammy and Badenoch in row over Israel’s MP ban

(Photo by Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)

Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch are not known to be especially chummy at the best of times – and relations have worsened after two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel over the weekend. Lammy was quick to accuse the Tory leader of ‘cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs’ after Badenoch defended Israel’s decision on Sunday, telling the Beeb’s Laura Kuenssberg that ‘it’s shocking that we have Labour MPs who other countries will not allow through’. Oo er.

Outrage quickly spread through the Labour party after it emerged that Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were not allowed entry to Israel on Saturday. The duo had been part of a delegation organised by the Council for Arab-British Understanding and Medical Aid for Palestinians, which had been preparing to visit the West Bank. The pair said they were ‘astounded’ by Israel’s decision, which was, according to the Times of Israel, made after the country suspected the politicians of wanting to ‘document Israeli security forces and spread hateful rhetoric against Israel’.

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Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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