Labour Friends of Israel has today announced four new honorary vice-chairs, following the announcement last week of new honorary chair Mark Sewards MP.
LFI welcomes Baroness Luciana Berger, Lord Steve McCabe, Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell and Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket MP Peter Prinsley as honorary vice-chairs.
The four additions join Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, LFI’s honorary chair in the House of Lords, and MPs Damien Egan and Sharon Hodgson who continue in their role as vice-chairs.
The announcements follow the appointment of several LFI honorary officers to ministerial positions, including former chair Jon Pearce MP and vice-chair Mike Tapp MP, who were respectively appointed as the Prime Minister’s parliamentary private secretary and as a Home Office minister earlier this year.
Former parliamentary chair Lord McCabe and former vice-chair Catherine McKinnell reprise honorary roles as LFI officers, while Baroness Berger served as LFI director between 2007 – 2010.
Other notable former LFI vice-chairs include Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Business Secretary Peter Kyle, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, and Commons and Lords Chief Whips Jonathan Reynolds and Lord Kennedy.
LFI honorary chair Mark Sewards said:
“I am delighted to welcome colleagues old and new who now form LFI’s honorary officer group in Parliament.
We will work to continue making the case for a two-state solution and to support Israelis and Palestinians alike who are working for peace, greater regional security and prosperity, and the UK-Israel bilateral relationship. These honorary officers will provide a balanced and constructive voice on the Middle East in Parliament as we seek to navigate from the ceasefire to longer-term peace.”
New LFI honorary vice-chair Lord McCabe said:
“I am very pleased to be one of LFI’s four new honorary vice-chairs.
At a rare moment of hope for the Middle East following two years of dreadful conflict sparked by the 7 October attacks, it is more important than ever to articulate how the UK can play a constructive role towards long-term peace and champion the Labour party’s historic position of support for the Jewish community.”
