Andy Burnham is set to become the next Labour leader and prime minister after securing 322 nominations from Labour MPs on the first day of nominations, with no other candidates coming forward to challenge him. The former Manchester mayor, who returned to Parliament by winning a by-election in Makerfield, is expected to be declared leader at a party event at the end of next week and become prime minister on 20 July.
Apology Over Gaza Response
In a video posted to social media, Burnham apologised for Labour's initial response to Israel's military action in Gaza, saying: '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.'
While acknowledging that Labour later recognised a Palestinian state, imposed restrictions on arms exports, and sanctioned some Israeli ministers, Burnham indicated his government would go further. He said: 'Let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire and we must now do more to strengthen our approach.' He proposed deeper sanctions against Israeli figures involved in settler violence and measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.
Criticism of Starmer's Stance
Burnham distanced himself from Sir Keir Starmer's response over Gaza, which had drawn strong criticism from some Labour supporters and driven younger voters towards the Green Party. However, he stopped short of accusing Israel of genocide, saying there was 'increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed' but that it was a matter for international courts. He described the destruction of Gaza as 'a scar on our collective conscience' and condemned both the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks and antisemitic violence in Britain.
Vision for Premiership
In a speech in Manchester last week, Burnham outlined plans to establish a new No 10 unit in the north to give local government more control over housing and transport. He also pledged to give all parts of the UK 'greater public control' of water and energy sectors, though further details remain scant.
