Rachel Reeves heckled by pro-Palestine protester as she delivers key Labour conference speech

Rachel Reeves was forced to pause her keynote speech at the Labour Party conference after being berated by a pro-Palestine protester.

The Chancellor stopped speaking as the man shouted from the audience. The man could be heard on live TV shouting: “Two years of genocide, mass starvation of Palestinian people.”

Ms Reeves responded: “We welcome your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state.” She continued: "We are now a party in Government not a party of protest."

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Large groups of demonstrators have gathered outside the conference centre in Liverpool demanding the Government stops selling arms to Israel. The man, who was wearing a conference pass, was escorted out by security.

It comes after Keir Starmer announced the UK is recognising a Palestinian state after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to meet a string of demands.

The PM last week took aim at Israel's "relentless and increasing" bombardment of Gaza, with military action increasing in recent weeks - and the "starvation and devastation" in the region, which Starmer said were "utterly intolerable".

"This death and destruction horrifies all of us," he said. "It must end." Responding to the protester, Ms Reeves said: : "We understand your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state.

"But we are now a party in Government, not a party of protest. And I'm proud to stand here as your Chancellor, the Chancellor that has increased the minimum wage, the Chancellor that is introducing free breakfast clubs and free school meals, a Chancellor that has overseen five cuts to interest rates.

"That's the difference we make, and that is the difference we make in power, not through protest. Our party has changed, and that is why I am standing here, proud to be your Chancellor of the Exchequer."

She received applause from the audience in the conference hall.

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