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Doha – The British Parliament is set to discuss the UK’s burgeoning relations with Morocco in a much-anticipated debate at Westminster Hall on Wednesday, June 18.
The session comes just two weeks after London threw its weight behind Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for the Western Sahara, representing a decisive breakthrough in the Moroccan efforts to bring closure to the artificially prolonged territorial dispute, sustained for decades by external manipulation and separatist narratives.
Led by MP Andrew Murrison, the parliamentary debate follows British Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s high-profile visit to Rabat on June 1.
During the trip, Lammy delivered a resounding endorsement of Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal, hailing it as the “most credible, realistic and pragmatic basis” for settling the Sahara conflict once and for all.
Lammy’s backing, announced during the 5th session of the UK-Morocco Strategic Dialogue, signaled a major shift in British policy. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita welcomed the move as an “important development,” noting the UK’s influential status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and its role in the “Friends of the Sahara” group.
The UK’s stance aligns with the growing international consensus in support of Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
In recent years, global powers such as the United States, France, and Spain have all viewed the Moroccan proposal as the only or the most viable path to a lasting resolution. Rabat’s plan would grant the Sahara region substantial autonomy while remaining under Moroccan sovereignty.
In addition to the autonomy endorsement, Lammy’s visit saw the inking of several landmark agreements aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation.
Key among them were infrastructure and trade deals related to Morocco’s role as co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The UK has pledged substantial investments to support Moroccan projects in the lead-up to the global tournament.
The strategic agreements also included an expansion of the UK Export Finance’s country limit for Morocco to £4 billion. This will enable greater British private sector participation in Moroccan public infrastructure projects, further cementing economic ties between London and Rabat.
Algeria, the primary supporter of the Polisario Front’s increasingly outdated and untenable separatist claims in Western Sahara, has sought to downplay the significance of the UK’s policy shift. In a statement dripping with denial and desperation, Algiers dismissed the British move as “inconsequential” to the ultimate resolution of the conflict.
However, regional experts and analysts see the UK’s embrace of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as yet another nail in the coffin of the Polisario’s fading aspirations.
The British endorsement not only deepens Algeria’s diplomatic isolation on the Sahara dossier but also shows Morocco’s undeniable momentum in rallying international support for its position.
The UK’s backing carries added historical weight, given Britain’s complex role in the region’s early 20th-century division. In 1904, the UK allowed France and Spain to carve up Morocco’s territory without consulting the then-independent kingdom.
Now, over a century later, London’s course correction represents a step towards righting past wrongs and acknowledging Rabat’s legitimate claims.
