The man who will become prime minister later this month has apologised for his party's ‘wrong’ response to the Gaza conflict, distancing himself from his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer. Andy Burnham, who is expected to take office on 20 July after 322 Labour MPs formally backed him on the first day of nominations, said Labour ‘didn't get it right’ at the start of Israel's military action in Gaza.
‘Labour's initial response to the treatment of Gaza caused huge hurt. We got it wrong and I am sorry for that,’ he wrote on social media. In a video message, the Makerfield MP reiterated his condemnation of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and antisemitic attacks in the UK, but acknowledged that ‘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’.
“Andy Burnham apologised for Labour's Gaza response as he is set to become PM on 20 July.”
Burnham was one of several high-profile Labour figures who were calling for a ceasefire by late October 2023, putting him at odds with Sir Keir Starmer, who at the time backed humanitarian pauses rather than a formal ceasefire. Sir Keir had also faced criticism for an LBC interview on 11 October 2023 in which he said Israel had the right to cut off power and water to Gaza, though a spokesman later said he meant only a general right to self-defence.
Burnham praised Labour's subsequent actions in government – recognising a Palestinian state, imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers and settlers, and restricting arms licences to Israel – but said more needed to be done. ‘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 said, calling for further sanctions and a ban on trade in goods with illegal settlements.
He stopped short of accusing Israel of genocide, as some Labour MPs had demanded of Sir Keir, saying there was ‘increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed’ but that it was ultimately a matter for international courts. Describing the destruction of Gaza as ‘a scar on our collective conscience’, Burnham stressed his condemnation of both the 7 October attacks and antisemitic violence in Britain: ‘We must continue to stamp out antisemitism across the UK.’
With no other candidates coming forward, Burnham will be declared Labour leader at a party event at the end of next week, paving the way for him to become prime minister on 20 July. The question now is whether his apology and pledge of tougher action will be enough to heal the deep divisions the conflict has caused within his party and among voters, particularly younger ones who shifted to the Green Party over the issue.