Pro-Palestine groups, Labour MPs and party activists have welcomed Andy Burnham’s apology over Labour’s response to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, while calling on the party leadership contender to back his words with ‘decisive action’.
Burnham, who is expected to become Labour leader and Britain’s next prime minister in the coming days, said earlier this week that Labour ‘didn’t get it right’ and that it must now do more.“I know 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. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better,” Burnham said.
Burnham said the ‘unbearable suffering’ in Gaza was a ‘scar on our collective conscience’.He also criticised Israel’s ever-expanding occupation of territory in Gaza, adding: “We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.”
Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, said Burnham’s remarks were ‘extremely welcome’.Meanwhile, Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich South, said it was ‘an important and much-needed first step’.Rupa Huq, parliamentarian for Ealing Central and Acton, said: “High time this is acknowledged and glad something will be done about it.”
The Labour Muslim Network wrote on X: “A huge and important intervention from the potential next leader of the Labour party.”The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said Burnham’s apology must be followed by ‘decisive action’.