Resign if don’t agree with Israel policy: Starmer govt warns UK civil servants over Gaza debate

Senior Foreign Office officials have told UK civil servants concerned about the government’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza that if their opposition is “profound,” they should consider resigning from the civil service.

According to a Politico report, in a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month more than 300 Foreign Office staff said the UK could be “doing more” to end the conflict and it was “unclear what further action” the government was considering taking to achieve this.

In response, Permanent Under-Secretary Olly Robbins and Second Permanent Under-Secretary Nick Dyer said while “healthy challenge” was welcomed in policymaking, staff must ultimately support government policy.

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“If your disagreement with any aspect of government policy or action is profound, your ultimate recourse is to resign from the civil service. This is an honorable course,” Politico quoted Robbins and Dyer as writing in the letter, dated May 29.

In the letter, the civil servants had warned that “the reality of Israel’s disregard for international law has become more stark” since an earlier letter in July 2024, citing the continued suspension of aid to Gaza and the barring of two Labour MPs from entering Israel. They argued that the UK’s position had “contributed to the erosion of global norms.”

The staff also criticised what they said were efforts to block questions about Gaza during all-staff meetings, and called on ministers to release legal advice and consider suspending arms sales to Israel.

Robbins and Dyer reiterated that there were internal mechanisms available to staff who felt “uncomfortable”” with policy, such as speaking to a line manager or using staff counseling services.

However, they emphasised that civil servants must “deliver the policies of the government of the day wholeheartedly.”

The response has sparked backlash from union representatives. Fran Heathcote, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents many civil servants, condemned the letter as “hopelessly inadequate.”

“There has been little effort to address our members’ concerns and no effort to justify the UK government’s interactions with the government of Israel, despite our genuine concerns over its potential failure to comply with its obligations under international and domestic law,” Politico quoted Heathcote as saying.

“As for the suggestion that civil servants may wish to resign if they are uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do — this is simply reprehensible,” Heathcote added.

“It is a dereliction of duty and a startling ignorance of the provisions of the civil service code, which require all civil servants to act in accordance with the law, including international law," she continued.

A Foreign Office spokesperson responded saying that since day one, the government has rigorously applied international law in relation to the war in Gaza.

“It is the job of civil servants to deliver on the policies of the government of the day and to provide professional, impartial advice as set out in the Civil Service code,” Politico quoted the spokesperson as saying, adding, “There are systems in place which allow them to raise concerns if they have them.”

The UK government has publicly criticised the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the situation “intolerable,” and has called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Last month, the government suspended free trade negotiations with Israel over its blockade on aid and imposed sanctions on entities accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

While the UK has suspended some export licences over humanitarian concerns, it has stopped short of labeling Israel’s actions a genocide, saying that is for the courts to determine, and continues to withhold recognition of a Palestinian state.

With inputs from agencies