UK Solicitor General Andy Slaughter Faces Hamas‑Related Controversy

Andy Slaughter was appointed solicitor general in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's new Labour government.

Media reports have revived photographs showing Slaughter meeting senior Hamas‑linked figures during trips to Jerusalem and Gaza in 2010, including a visit with Jeremy Corbyn and later separate meetings with Hamas Justice Minister Faraj al‑Ghoul and deputy foreign minister Ahmed Yousef. Critics, led by shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, argue the appointments were poorly vetted and question Slaughter’s suitability to oversee prosecutions and proscription decisions involving terrorist organisations such as Hamas, which the UK proscribed in 2021.

The Attorney General’s Office responded that appointments are thoroughly considered and asserted that Slaughter will act impartially, noting his public condemnation of Hamas and support for a two‑state solution. The controversy centres on whether his past contacts could influence legal decisions on terrorism‑related cases.