Global Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions Regulations 2026

Lord Pickles Excerpts

Wednesday 4th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Pickles (Con)]

My Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. I support my noble friend Lord Leigh and wish to focus on one issue: certainty. If these regulations are truly targeted, those affected should be able to understand where the boundary lies. Yet the Government have failed to provide that clarity. Faced with serious penalties, many will simply err on the side of caution. Can the Government state clearly whether buying a home in East Jerusalem, including near the Western Wall, or making a charitable donation would become grounds for designation? What legal test distinguishes a lawful transaction from sanctionable support? Will that test be published? Trustees, donors and charities should not have to guess whether lawful activity crosses an invisible line. If the Government have a clear test, they should publish it. If they do not, that is precisely the problem.

There are wider consequences. If charities and individuals cannot determine where the line is drawn, why should banks and businesses? Many will simply withdraw from dealings with Israel as the safest course. What assessment did the Government make of the impact on UK businesses with US operations in light of American anti-boycott laws? What assessment was made of any wider implications for the UK-US relationship? What guidance will be issued? If those assessments have been undertaken, they should be published. If guidance has been prepared, it should be issued.

The House is not being asked this afternoon whether certainty is desirable. It is being asked to approve regulations whose boundaries remain undefined in practice. Where sanctions carry serious penalties, uncertainty is not a technical flaw; it is a fundamental defect. If those affected cannot know with confidence where the line is drawn, the House should be concerned about what it is being asked to approve. Whether it was intended or not, this is in effect BDS by the backdoor. That is why I support the regret amendment.