After Keir Starmer resigned as Britain’s prime minister last month, the UK appears headed for a shift. Andy Burnham, the leading candidate to become Britain’s next prime minister and a member of Starmer’s Labour Party, is driving a sharp turn in his party’s Middle East policy—particularly toward the war launched by Hamas on October 7.
1+Burnham publicly apologized for how Labour responded to the IDF’s ground operation in Gaza—saying they should have done more to help residents of the Strip. In an interview with The Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, Burnham made clear things will look different under his leadership, declaring he intends to significantly increase pressure on Israel’s government. Among the steps he’s considering: imposing additional sanctions on Israeli individuals and entities, and even a trade embargo on goods from Judea and Samaria.
Burnham’s dramatic move is aimed primarily at calming tensions at home and appealing to the progressive wing of the party. Labour voters felt betrayed that Starmer didn’t do enough for ‘Palestinians’, the paper reported.
Burnham claimed Britain dragged its feet and was too slow to call for a ceasefire, describing the situation in Gaza as “a scar on the collective conscience.” At the same time, the candidate refused to define the situation as “genocide” despite pressure from the left, arguing such determinations should be made by international courts, not politicians.
1+Though not considered “pro-Israel,” British media believe statements like Burnham’s wouldn’t have passed muster under Starmer. The British press recalled the former prime minister’s 2023 interview in which Starmer defended Israel’s right to cut off electricity and water to Gaza. Starmer’s approach shifted during the war—in 2025, after months of heavy pressure from his cabinet members, the then-prime minister agreed to recognize a ‘Palestinian’ state.
As politicians tend to do, Burnham is trying to have it both ways. Alongside his sharply critical tone on Israel’s security operations in Judea and Samaria and his stated desire to help Gaza more, the candidate rushed to send a reassuring message to Britain’s Jewish communities. Burnham emphasized he condemns the October 7 atrocities in the strongest terms and is deeply concerned about the spike in antisemitism in the country. “There is no contradiction between zero tolerance for antisemitism and criticizing Netanyahu’s government,” he said.