'A historic moment' Cheers as flag is raised at UK's new Palestine embassy

The flag-raising event to mark Britain’s recognition of the Palestinian state was running a little late at London’s newest embassy. Over a century late it might be argued.

- Daniel Boffey Chief reporter

The formalities had been due to begin at 11am outside what had been known as the Palestinian mission to the UK, but there was a problem: too many VIPs.

There were MPs by the dozen, including Conservatives, about 60 ambassadors and a smattering of moderately famous faces. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, and John Swinney, the first minister of Scotland, were among those present.

All took their places in a pen in front of the two-storey, postwar building in Hammersmith, west London, sealed off by metal barriers from a large contingent of TV cameras and microphones as well as a couple of hundred members of the public waving flags.

The Palestinian cause has not always attracted such support and the swell of enthusiasm was causing a few logistical difficulties, as the Labour MPs Liam Byrne and Rushanara Ali were largely rooted to their prime spots by the flagpole.

Passionate as they no doubt are about Palestinian rights it would do no harm for the world and the large Muslim populations in their constituencies see their support for this historic decision by Labour.

The Palestinian ambassador Husam Zomlot, with a beaming smile and a wave, was able to walk down a ramp from the mission to open events at 11.15am.