Labour shifts Gaza position as Andy Burnham apologises over party response

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Labour Gaza response shift

Highlights

Andy Burnham urges the UK government to impose further sanctions on Israel and potentially ban trade with illegal settlements, signalling a policy shift.
Labour faced internal turmoil since October 2023 over its Gaza stance, resulting in 10 frontbench resignations and loss of five seats to pro-Palestinian independents in 2024.
Starmer officially recognised Palestinian statehood by September 2025 after mounting internal and external pressure, with Gaza remaining an electoral liability in key local elections.

Policy reset on Gaza and sanctions

As reported by Financial Times, citing the Guardian, Burnham says he wants the UK government to increase pressure on the Israeli government through further sanctions on groups and individuals, alongside a potential ban on trade in goods from illegal settlements.

He says many voters believe ministers have been too slow to demand a ceasefire and apologises for Labour’s initial handling of the conflict. Burnham also says there is growing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed, but stops short of calling the conflict a genocide, saying that judgment should be left to international courts rather than politicians.

The remarks mark a notable shift from Burnham’s 2015 Labour leadership campaign, when he said his first overseas trip, if elected, would be to Israel. They also place him closer to Labour MPs who have for months argued for a crackdown on imports from Israeli settlements.

Electoral pressure on Labour’s left flank

The party’s internal dispute over Gaza dates back to October 2023, when Keir Starmer said in an LBC interview that Israel had the right to self-defence after attacks by Palestinian militants killed more than 1,200 people. He later said he had not intended to endorse cutting off power and water to Gaza, but the remarks triggered a sustained backlash.

Starmer initially backed only a humanitarian pause rather than a full ceasefire, in line with the U.S. government at the time. In November 2023, 10 frontbenchers resigned over his refusal to change course, and in the 2024 general election Labour lost five constituencies to pro-Palestinian independents.

By September 2025, Starmer recognised Palestinian statehood after a similar move by French President Emmanuel Macron and a letter from 130 Labour MPs urging action. Gaza also remains a significant electoral issue in local politics, with several inner-city London boroughs switching to the Greens in the May local elections as anger over the conflict continues to affect Labour’s support.

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