Andy Burnham has apologised for Labour's initial response to the Gaza conflict and signalled a significant shift in the party's stance on the Middle East. The Prime Minister-in-waiting said the suffering in Gaza was a "scar on our collective conscience" and said pressure needed to be ramped up on the Israeli government.
Burnham's Apology and Call for Accountability
In a video posted on social media, Mr Burnham said: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza my party didn’t get it right and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.” He condemned the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent rise in antisemitism in Britain, including the horrifying synagogue attacks in Manchester. But he said there was no contradiction between a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and holding the Israeli government to account.
Criticism of Starmer's Initial Response
His comments allude to Keir Starmer's initial response to the October 7 attacks, when he gave a disastrous interview to LBC saying Israel “has the right” to withhold power and water from Gaza. It took him nearly 10 days to clarify the remarks, insisting he meant Israel had the right to defend itself, not to withhold essentials from civilians. The comments caused public fury that Labour struggled to shake off. After pressure from some Cabinet ministers, Mr Starmer pushed for the UK to recognise a Palestinian state last year.
Burnham's Proposed Policy Shifts
Mr Burnham said important steps had been taken by the Government, such as recognition of Palestine, slapping sanctions on Israeli ministers and violent settlers, and restrictions on arms licences that could be used in Gaza. But he went on: “Let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach. Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement, killing innocent Palestinians. We are seeing a surge in settler violence in the West bank and East Jerusalem, and the continued expansion of illegal settlements, displacing Palestinian communities. Netanyahu's government is clearly attempting to make a two-state solution impossible.”
He said the UK needed to look at further sanctions on those behind the violence in Gaza and a potential ban on trade in goods with illegal settlements. Mr Burnham went on: “I have been absolutely appalled by what I've seen and read about the destruction of Gaza. There is increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed. There must be accountability for the depth of the suffering the people have experienced. Ultimately however, it must be for the international courts to determine, rather than politicians.”
Broader Foreign Policy Intervention
It follows another intervention on foreign policy, where Mr Burnham said he wanted an even closer relationship with Europe to break down barriers to defence co-operation. He wrote in The Times: “I want an even closer relationship with countries across Europe, working more through European-led groupings, such as the E3 (the UK, France and Germany), strengthening the European pillar in Nato and breaking down any barriers to defence industrial co-operation. I want to consolidate the progress made on the existing UK-EU negotiations and make further progress quickly, including by strengthening our co-operation on illegal migration, economic security and the broader resilience of our societies to external threats — from terrorism to AI-driven disinformation.”
