New UK PM Burnham’s freshly appointed solicitor general met with Hamas in 2010

One of the first appointments by new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is already under fire for having met with members of Hamas in 2010.

Andy Slaughter, who was appointed solicitor general days after Burnham took office as the country’s seventh prime minister in a decade last Monday, joined then-Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn on a fact-finding trip to the Palestinian territories in November 2010, sponsored by Friends of Al-Aqsa and the pro-Palestinian nonprofit Middle East Monitor.

In his new position, Slaughter would wield significant power over decisions related to the prosecution of proscribed terrorist organizations, including Hamas itself, British media noted. His appointment to that post was “an absolute disgrace,” Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said, accusing Slaughter of showing “sympathy for Hamas.”

According to The Telegraph, during the 2010 visit, the delegation met representatives of Hamas and rival party Fatah. Photographs from the visit show Slaughter alongside Palestinian politicians Mohammed Totah, Ahmed Attoun and Khaled Abu-Arafeh, all of whom held positions associated with Hamas.

Slaughter also met Hamas Justice Minister Faraj al-Ghoul and Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Yousef during a separate visit to Gaza in March 2010. After that visit, he wrote an article in The Guardian arguing that negotiations with Hamas should take place “without preconditions.”

In a statement to The Telegraph, the UK Attorney General’s Office rejected criticism of Slaughter’s appointment, saying that Slaughter has consistently condemned Hamas, supports a two-state solution, and will carry out his duties with political impartiality and adherence to the rule of law.