Andy Burnham apologises for Labour's stance on Gaza

Andy Burnham backed further sanctions against Israeli figures involved in settler violence as he apologised for Labour’s initial response to the country’s actions in Gaza.

The likely next prime minister said the UK should be “clear in our criticism of what has happened in Gaza”, while also condemning Hamas’s attack on October 7 2023 and subsequent acts of antisemitic violence in Britain.

In a video posted to social media, he 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.”

The apology comes as Mr Burnham received the backing of 322 MPs, all but guaranteeing he will become the Prime Minister next week.

The figure means that Mr Burnham needs just one more Labour MP to nominate him for leader to guarantee he runs for the role unopposed.

While he acknowledged Labour had subsequently recognised a Palestinian state, imposed restrictions on arms exports and sanctioned some Israeli ministers, he suggested a government under his leadership would go further.

Mr Burnham 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 added that action would include “looking at further sanctions, both on those involved in the violence in Gaza, but also looking at measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements”.

But he stopped short of accusing Israel of perpetrating a genocide against Palestinians, as some Labour MPs have.

Mr Burnham said there was “increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed”, but added it was ultimately a matter for international courts rather than politicians to determine.

Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested he was “a bit worried” by Mr Burnham’s intervention, warning Labour’s position on Gaza had involved difficult judgments rather than easy political choices.

Speaking to LBC’s Andrew Marr, Mr Hunt said: “I’m no fan of the way Israel has behaved in Gaza,” but added that the government had been “wrestling with precisely those trade-offs” involved in balancing relations with Israel, the US and Britain’s influence in the Middle East.

Mr Hunt argued that a more strident stance may have made Sir Keir Starmer “popular temporarily”, but “wouldn’t have helped a lot in our influence”.

He added: “I hope this is a bit of an aberration,” saying the country needed “someone who persuades us of the need to make difficult choices, not someone who tells us it’s all going to be very easy, just let me get my hands on the levers of power.”

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