THE government has been accused of “succumbing to Israeli pressure” after it blocked the grandson of Nelson Mandela from coming to Britain to give a Palestine solidarity speaking tour.

Mandla Mandela was due to speak at nine venues across the UK in nine days on a tour organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

His visa application was blocked by the British consulate in South Africa.

The tour was due to start on Thursday with a meeting in Sheffield organised by Sheffield Palestine Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid.

“British officials had initially told him that his South African government passport did not require a visa to enter the UK,” the group said in a statement.

“However, on Monday, Mandla was informed that he did require a visa.”

Mr Mandela spoke instead via satellite on Thursday, watched on screen by 300 people who attended the Sheffield meeting.

On Friday he was due to speak at a student protest backed by 10 organisations including the University and College Union, Youth For Palestine and Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine (GMFP).

John Nicholson of GMFP described the decision to block the tour as “cowardly and pathetic.”

Youth For Palestine accused the government of “succumbing to Israeli pressure.”

“We know that this has nothing to do with procedural visa-related issues, but with the government preventing influential pro-Palestine voices from addressing the people in Britain,” the group said.

Mick Napier of Scottish PSC said: “The parallels are striking between the past British treatment of Nelson Mandela and the Starmer government’s decision.

“During the time that Nelson Mandela was categorised by the UK government as a properly convicted terrorist rightly incarcerated for 27 years on Robben Island, he was given the honorary freedom of three Scottish cities: Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.”

Further meetings were planned including in Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

A meeting organised in Dublin will go ahead with Mr Mandela present as the Irish government waived Mr Mandela’s need for a visa.

The blocking of the tour has sparked international media attention.

The South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Coalition said it was “appalled” by the government’s refusal.

“This shows utter contempt for freedom of expression, human rights or any pretence of international solidarity by the ruling Labour Party,” the coalition said.