From the 20th – 23rd September 2025, Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine (LDFP) attended the Liberal Democrats Party Conference in Bournemouth, hosting and supporting a series of well-attended events on Palestine.
Saturday 20th September – Cllr Zuffar Haq in conversation with Arwa Damon
On the opening day, LDFP supported a fringe event organised by Councillor Zuffar Haq featuring Arwa Damon, former CNN Correspondent to the Middle East. Attendees were visibly moved as Arwa shared her experiences of working on the ground in Gaza and spoke about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Strip.
Sunday 21st September – Topical debate and LDFP fringe event
On the morning of 21st September, Conference held a topical debate entitled “Ending the Israel-Palestine war and Britain’s response to it.” The debate was proposed by LDFP Chair Anne-Marie Simpson and summated by the party’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller, with additional interventions from Manuela Perteghella MP, Andrew George MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, and Richard Foord MP. Speakers called for wider sanctions and a full arms embargo to pressure Israel to change course and prevent UK complicity in the Gaza genocide. The debate also drew attention to the thousands of Palestinians held unlawfully under Israel’s administrative detention system, amid credible reports of torture and other ill-treatment.
That evening, LDFP hosted a packed-out fringe event, titled “Israel-Palestine: Rebuilding a Pathway to Peace.” The panel featured Tayab Ali, Director of ICJP and Head of International Law at Bindmans LLP; Ben Jamal, Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC); Emili Stevenson of Na’amod’s Strategic Leadership Team; and Ehab Omar, Co-Founder of British Palestinian Families. Panellists set out the urgent steps the UK and political parties such as the Liberal Democrats must take to confront Israel’s genocide in Gaza and end its wider campaign of ethnic cleansing, mass displacement, and dispossession across Palestine.
Monday 22nd September – Annual Palestine Reception On 22nd September, LDFP co-hosted the Conference’s Annual Palestine Reception with the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). The event took place from 5:15 until 7:30pm in the Ocean suite of the Nici Hotel.
Delivering a keynote address, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Edward Davey welcomed the UK Government’s recognition of Palestine but called it a ‘small step’ in the face of Israel’s ongoing atrocities, reaffirming his party’s commitment to ending the genocide in Gaza. Other speakers included Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller MP, Tom Morrison MP, Tayab Ali, Director of ICJP, Anne-Marie Simpson, Chair of LDFP, and Ehab Omar, Co-Founder of British Palestinian Families. A recording of the speeches is available here.
The event included refreshments and finger food and provided an opportunity for conference attendees to meet with likeminded individuals interested in defending and upholding international law and Palestinian people’s human rights. It was well-attended by MPs, peers, non-governmental organisation (NGO) leaders, staffers, council group leaders, and other party members.
