Save the Children UK has been accused of being “divisive, provocative, factually inaccurate” on social media by a Foreign Office minister.
Levelling the charge against the international charity, Baroness Chapman of Darlington said the country does not need “contributions that exacerbate divisions”.
Her comments came in response to Conservative peer Lord Polak, who accused the charity of employing “gimmicks” rather than focussing on its work to protect children.
Neither peer identified the social media posts they were criticising.
This is your legacy on the occupied Palestinian territory, Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. History will remember your complicity.
— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) July 14, 2026
Despite a partial arms suspension in 2024, Keir Starmer's government has continued to enable Israel's atrocities against Palestinians, their families… pic.twitter.com/ikFXmRT7me
However, the charity recently hit out at outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of “complicity” in enabling “Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians”.
"This is your legacy on the occupied Palestinian territory, prime minister,” it wrote on its official UK social media account. “History will remember your complicity.
"Despite a partial arms suspension in 2024, Keir Starmer's government has continued to enable Israel's atrocities against Palestinians, their families, and children through the supply of F-35 fighter jet parts."
The Labour government suspended more than 30 arms licenses to Israel in September 2024 after the Foreign Office identified a credible risk that the weapons “might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
However, ministers did not withdraw Britain’s participation from the F-35 programme, some of the products of which are sold to Israel.
This was because, under the US-led programme, the UK only contributes parts to a manufacturing supply line shared across multiple countries, with no control over where the finished fighter jets are sold, so a withdrawal could deprive allies of the jets without affecting the supply to Israel.
Nonetheless, Save The Children UK called on Andy Burnham, who will become prime minister next week, to go further than his predecessor.
“Nothing can change the horrors Palestinians have faced. But the next prime minister has an opportunity to put an end to the UK Government's role as an ally to atrocities.
"The UK Government must suspend all arms sales to Israel, suspend the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement [and] ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements.”
Addressing the House of Lords on Wednesday, Polak said: “My lords, there are children in danger, there are children dying.
“Save the Children UK has got into doing sort of gimmicks. What would the minister say to them?
“Why are they not saving children, as it says in their title?”
Chapman responded that she agreed with Polak, saying: “I think there’s been an unfortunate use of social media by Save the Children, which I think is divisive, provocative, factually inaccurate, and I’m very happy to debate with any charity or NGO or anybody else (on) the decisions that this Government has made regarding any conflict at any time.
“What I do not think this country needs right now is contributions that exacerbate divisions on topics that are incredibly divisive and sensitive.
“We should all be conducting ourselves in a way that is respectful and grounded in substance.
“And I would encourage every campaigning organisation to do that.”
PA contacted Save The Children for comment.
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