Middle East Eye

Next expected UK PM Andy Burnham says government ‘got it wrong’ over Gaza and pledges to do more

“Let me start by saying the unbearable suffering in Gaza is a scar on our collective conscience. It's completely unacceptable that innocent Palestinians, including children, continue to be killed.” The widely expected frontrunner to become the UK’s next prime minister, Andy Burnham, has released a video criticising the Labour Party’s past stance on Palestine. In the video, Burnham says the party "got it wrong" and pledges to increase pressure on Israel to help bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The comments mark a notable departure from the approach taken by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who faced widespread criticism for not doing enough for Palestine. His proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was criticised as an attempt to silence support for Palestine. Burnham also condemned the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023 and rising antisemitism in the UK, arguing that support for Palestinian rights and opposition to antisemitism should go hand in hand. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at [email protected] Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye