Sir Keir Starmer‘s allies were today scrambling to defend the Prime Minister’s changed stance on Qatar as he prepares to welcome the petro-state’s ruler to Downing Street.
The PM and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, are due to meet in No10 to agree a £1billion investment in climate technology.
But their talks come little more than two years after Sir Keir boycotted football’s World Cup in Qatar due to the country’s human rights record.
Both the PM and the Emir enjoyed a state banquet at Buckingham Palace last night.
It was also attended by ex-footballer David Beckham who has a reported £150million deal to be an ambassador for Qatar.
Heidi Alexander, the new Transport Secretary, was this morning grilled over Sir Keir’s about-turn on his attitude towards Qatar.
She told LBC: ‘The World Cup – a football game, something you do for fun – is quite different to the responsibilities that you have when you are Prime Minister of a country to ensure that you maintain diplomatic relations.
‘Some of the time you need to have difficult conversations, but it’s often important to maintain channels of communication so that those difficult conversations can sometimes be had.’
Sir Keir Starmer pictured with Lolwah bint Rashid al-Khater, Qatar’s minister for international cooperation, ahead of a state banquet in Buckingham Palace last night
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with King Charles during last night’s event
It was also attended by ex-footballer David Beckham, pictured with wife Victoria, who has a reported £150million deal to be an ambassador for Qatar
The decision by football authorities to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was hugely controversial
The decision by football authorities to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was hugely controversial.
Human rights campaigners have long expressed concerns about women’s rights and freedom of expression in the country, as well as the treatment of migrant workers.
Homosexual behaviour is illegal in Qatar, while there are also strict laws on alcohol, drugs, public intimacy, relationships outside marriage, dress codes and swearing.
In October 2022, before he was PM, Sir Keir vowed not to attend the World Cup in Qatar even if England went on to reach the final of the tournament.
‘No I wouldn’t,’ he said. ‘I’d love to but I think that the human rights record is such that I wouldn’t go and that’ll be the position of the Labour Party.’
He also confirmed he would not be attending any games at all and neither would any of his senior Labour colleagues.
In January this year, Sir Keir and three of his staff were revealed to have flown in a private jet paid for by Qatar to meet the Emir in Doha while he was in the Middle East for the Cop-28 climate summit.
After the 7 October terror attacks in Israel last year, Qatar became a key mediator in ceasefire and hostage release talks between Israel and Hamas.
Sir Keir is under pressure to raise human rights concerns in his talks with the Emir in Downing Street.
Asked whether the PM had changed his mind about Qatar, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the UK’s relationship with Qatar delivered ‘significant mutual benefits’ on trade and security.
He also noted the Gulf state’s mediation role since the October 2023 attacks on Israel.
‘We discuss human rights regularly with Qatar. We stand ready to co-operate with them on these issues,’ the spokesman added.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: ‘Keir Starmer and King Charles should not have rewarded the Emir with the honour of a state visit while his regime continues to victimise women, LGBTs and migrant workers.
‘Feting the Emir is collusion with tyranny. The Qatar government is a police state dictatorship.
‘It’s guilty of systemic homophobia, sexism and the suppression of workers’ rights and basic freedoms like free speech and the right to protest.’
Sir Keir and the Emir are set to hail a ‘significant milestone’ in the UK-Qatar relationship as the Gulf state confirms an initial commitment of £1billion to a ‘clean energy partnership’ between the two states.
The deal includes investment in technology programmes operated by Rolls Royce as well as start-ups in the UK and Qatar focused on energy efficiency, carbon management and green power.
