Declassified UK ; Corbyn demands Chilcot-style Gaza inquiry
Posted: 16th June 2025
This week, independent MP Jeremy Corbyn tabled a private members’ bill in parliament calling for a full, public, and independent inquiry into the UK government’s role in the Gaza genocide.
A private members’ bill can be introduced by an MP or Lord who’s not a government minister. It’s a way for backbenchers to propose and pass their own legislation, typically addressing issues of serious public concern.
“This inquiry would seek to establish the truth about Britain’s military, economic or political cooperation with Israel since October 2023”, Corbyn wrote.
“Any meaningful inquiry would require the full cooperation of government ministers – Conservative and Labour – who have been involved in the decision-making process”, he continued.
The inquiry, according to Corbyn, must focus on five key areas: the sales of arms to Israel; the legal advice received by the government; the use of RAF Akrotiri; the collection of spy footage over Gaza; and intelligence sharing with Israel.
“In the future, our history books will shame those who had the opportunity to stop this massacre but instead chose to enable one of the greatest crimes of our time”, the MP for Islington North wrote.
The bill currently has the support of 42 MPs, including independent MPs Zarah Sultana and Apsana Begum, Labour MPs Brian Leishman and Richard Burgon, and Green MP Ellie Chowns.
It was read into parliament by Corbyn at around 3:30pm on Wednesday, with the preceding debate seeing impassioned statements and questions from increasingly frustrated legislators.
Tory MP Kit Malthouse declared that Gaza has become “an abattoir where starving people are lured out through combat zones to be shot at”.
He added: “If the situation were reversed, we would now be mobilising the British armed forces as part of an international protection force”.
When Corbyn finally arose to introduce the bill, he declared that the UK government had “admitted its own complicity in war crimes” by allowing UK-made F-35 fighter jet parts to be supplied to Israel via third countries.
“Until this country ends arms sales to Israel, it will be complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza”, he added.
So what happens now?
The bill will go to a second reading in parliament on 4 July, though legislators will not be afforded much time to properly debate it, and it is unlikely to become law.
The call for a public inquiry will, however, put pressure on the UK government totake meaningful action against Israel, and expose the MPs who refuse to support it.