First British MP of Palestinian descent to run for leadership of centrist Liberal Democrats

The UK’s first member of parliament of Palestinian descent has declared her leadership bid for the Liberal Democrats, the country’s fourth largest party in Westminster.

Layla Moran, whose mother, Randa Moran is from a prominent Palestinian Christian family in Jerusalem and whose father, James Moran is a former European Ambassador to Egypt, said she wanted to better engage with cooperative and progressive politics.

Announcing her campaign, she added that she wanted “to fight to ensure education and equality of opportunity” and “to properly tackle the climate crisis”. She has also been highly critical of anti-Semitism in the past and has argued that society as a whole is becoming less tolerant and minorities less safe.

In last year’s December election the Green Party did not stand a candidate against Ms Moran in her Oxford West and Abingdon seat because they felt she stood the best chance of winning the seat and represented a large amount of their values.

A former teacher, Ms Moran is the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson and has been highly critical of cuts by the Conservative government. She has previously pledged to invest as much as a £1 billion in education for 16-19 year olds.

But given her Palestinian background she has been highly vocal on the crisis too.

In an op-ed for The Guardian last year she said she believed in a two-state solution and added that “it is disgraceful” the UK government “refuses to recognise Palestine as a state”.

“Opposing the 52-year-old Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israel’s colossal and illegal settlement project and the blockage of Gaza is a position every progressive politician should adopt,” she wrote.

“Palestinians have a right to a state. They have a right to live in dignity. Five million Palestinian refugees cannot just be ignored,” Ms Moran added.

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In 2017 Ms Moran was widely praised by supporters of Palestinians when she wore the keffiyeh in Parliament. But she has also been forced to defend credentials as a supporter of the Palestinians. One campaign group attacked her voting record.

“This is deeply, deeply offensive,” Ms Moran wrote. “My family originate from Jerusalem, are part of the diaspora and I introduced the Bill to recognise Palestine.

“I also speak out against all racism, including anti-Semitism.”

Ms Moran’s bid comes at a difficult time for the party after it won only 11 seats at last December’s election, down from 12 during the previous parliament. Former leader Jo Swinson also lost own seat and stepped down from the helm after the disappointing result.

The Liberal Democrats had billed themselves as the only major party promising to overturn the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Critics say this hard-line approach was a major reason for the party’s dismal showing.

An MP since 2017, Ms Moran had been a favourite when the party held leadership elections last year, but decided to withdraw her bid in May last year when an incident from her private life emerged. It was reported she was detained by police in 2013 over a domestic incident.