Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has admitted that Sir Keir Starmer’s initial handling of the Gaza conflict “got us off to a bad start” – as world leaders began public farewells to the outgoing prime minister during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris.
Lammy told the BBC that Labour’s response in the early weeks of the war was “problematic” and that Starmer’s comment in an LBC interview, where he said Israel had the “right” to cut off power and water to Gaza, “came out all wrong”. A spokesman later insisted the prime minister had only meant to refer to Israel’s general right to self‑defence.
“Lammy says Starmer's initial Gaza response was 'problematic' as Paris farewells begin.”
The criticism from Starmer’s own deputy comes after Andy Burnham, who is expected to become prime minister later this month, issued a formal apology on Thursday. “Labour’s initial response to the treatment of Gaza caused huge hurt. We got it wrong and I am sorry for that,” Burnham wrote on social media. In a video message, the Makerfield MP also reiterated his condemnation of the 7 October Hamas attack and antisemitic attacks in the UK.
Lammy acknowledged that Labour had taken steps in government – including calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in February 2024 and formally recognising the state of Palestine in September 2025 – but said “clearly those initial steps were problematic”. When asked whether Starmer had become too preoccupied with foreign policy at the expense of domestic issues, Lammy said the “two are indivisible”, pointing to the cost‑of‑living crisis driven by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and problems in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that leaders across the Western world were spending more time on foreign policy than they had hoped.
Meanwhile, Starmer was in Paris where he said he had held a “very productive” meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. The gathering marked the start of public farewells from world leaders as the prime minister prepares to hand over power.
