THE government is pushing ahead with plans to legislate against the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a former Tory minister has revealed. 

Tory MP and former housing secretary Robert Jenrick said such a Bill could be introduced to Parliament as early as next spring.

It comes more than two years after the Tories promised in their 2019 manifesto to impose a ban on councils using “boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against foreign countries.”

While the pledge did not name any particular state, Mr Jenrick’s comments this week heavily suggested that the legislation was aimed at the BDS movement. 

Alarmingly, the Tory MP suggested the proposed legislation could be broadened to impose an “absolute ban” on BDS in Britain. 

“What we want to do is pass a piece of legislation here and I’m pretty confident that will be in the next legislative programme — the Queen’s speech as we call it — in the spring of next year which would outlaw BDS in the UK,” he said. 

“Within a year or two we should really have an absolute ban on BDS which would really be a great step forwards.”

The former housing minister made the comments during an online talk on December 14, hosted by the Leadership Dialogue Institute — described on its website as a “private diplomatic channel fostering closer cultural ties between Australia, the UK and Israel.”

Mr Jenrick said he hoped the Bill would cover local government pension funds, preventing them divesting from firms involved with Israel’s occupation of Palestine. 

The government confirmed yesterday that it “remains committed” to the manifesto pledge and will legislate “as soon as parliamentary time allows.” 

But campaigners have vowed to fight the move. 

Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal said: “This is the latest in a line of measures by this government suppressing core civic freedoms — this time with a move whose only intention is the prevent a state practising apartheid from being held to account. 

“The proposed law will be resisted by all of those dedicated to upholding international law and protecting core democratic freedoms. 

“PSC is already working to build this coalition of resistance, defending the right to invest ethically and respecting the principle of standing always with the oppressed and never with the oppressor.”

Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, BDS aims to put political and economic pressure on Israel to end its oppression of Palestinians.

Israel claims the movement is “anti-semitic” and has sought to press its allies to introduce anti-BDS laws, which have now been passed in Germany and some US states. 

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “The UK government has made its position on boycotts clear. We do not hesitate to express our disagreement with foreign nations whenever we feel it necessary. 

“But we are firmly opposed to local boycotts which can damage integration and community cohesion, hinder exports, and harm foreign relations and the UK’s economic and international security.”