Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and prospective Labour candidate for prime minister, declined on Thursday to describe Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide. The remarks came in an interview with the Guardian, published on June 4, as Burnham prepares to contest the Makerfield by-election on June 18 — a seat he needs to enter Parliament and mount a formal challenge for the Labour leadership.
According to the Guardian, Burnham declined to say Israel has committed genocide, explaining: “I can’t judge things of that enormity from where I am as mayor of Greater Manchester.”
He did not rule out the possibility of wrongdoing entirely. Burnham added: “I do have concerns about the disproportionate nature of what has happened in terms of the destruction, and there has to be a full process of investigation and accountability.”
The statement drew immediate attention because it positions Burnham more cautiously than some of his rivals in the emerging Labour leadership contest. Middle East Eye reported that Burnham’s comments were markedly milder than those made days earlier by Wes Streeting, the former Health Secretary who resigned from the cabinet in May. Streeting had privately described Israel as committing “war crimes before our eyes” in WhatsApp messages exchanged with veteran Labour figure Peter Mandelson, messages that Streeting himself released.
Streeting resigned as Health Secretary in May 2026, citing a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, and said he would stand in any Labour leadership contest.
Burnham’s path to that same contest runs through Makerfield. Labour MP Josh Simons resigned his seat in Makerfield in northern England to allow Burnham to stand for Parliament, since under Labour Party rules only an MP can run for leader. Burnham secured the necessary approval from the party’s governing National Executive Committee, which had previously blocked him from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February — a seat Labour subsequently lost.
The Makerfield by-election is the first time a by-election has been triggered specifically to provide a parliamentary seat for a figure not currently in Parliament since the 1965 Leyton by-election.
On Gaza, Burnham’s position contrasts sharply with conclusions reached by international bodies. A United Nations commission of inquiry found that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in 2025. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and leading Israeli human rights groups have also declared Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide, as have numerous global experts on genocide.
Israeli forces have killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people, with a further 170,000 wounded. Thousands more in Gaza remain missing and are presumed dead beneath the rubble.
Regional and Global Impact
Gaza has become a defining fault line in British domestic politics, shaping the Labour leadership contest and the party’s electoral fortunes. Labour has faced sustained criticism from figures on the left who condemned its stance on the Gaza war, welfare reform, and its refusal to introduce a wealth tax — controversies that contributed to poor results in the 2025 and 2026 local elections, while the Green Party made major gains.
Whoever emerges victorious nationally, British foreign policy is likely to shift — particularly toward Israel, with which the UK has maintained longstanding military and political cooperation. As a foreign policy issue, Israel has been significant in Britain over the past two-plus years, and in recent months the US-Israeli war on Iran has had a significant economic impact on Britain.
Burnham’s history on the issue is not without nuance. In late October 2023, only weeks into Israel’s assault on Gaza, he called for a ceasefire, breaking ranks with the Labour leadership. In June 2025, he was among senior Labour figures demanding the party take the lead and immediately recognise a Palestinian state. His refusal to apply the word “genocide” on Thursday represents a step back from that trajectory, and is likely to face scrutiny as his campaign develops.
Background
By mid-May 2026, over 95 Labour MPs had called on Starmer to resign or set out a departure timetable, and one cabinet minister, four junior ministers, and four ministerial aides resigned in protest. At a press conference on May 11, Starmer said: “I am not going to stand here and pretend this isn’t a tough moment for our party, or that we didn’t take a bruising at the ballot box. But let me be perfectly clear about my position: I am not running away from the challenge.” The Labour government introduced a partial arms embargo on Israel but continued to collaborate militarily with it throughout the conflict in Gaza. In 2015, Burnham was reportedly a member of Labour Friends of Israel and pledged that his first overseas visit as leader would be to Israel.
What Happens Next
The Makerfield by-election is scheduled for June 18, 2026. Burnham has secured NEC approval and will stand as the Labour candidate. Should he win the seat, he will be eligible to formally enter the Labour leadership race. Polymarket odds have placed the probability of a Labour leadership election by June 30, 2026 at around 50 percent. Burnham is expected to face further questioning on Gaza policy and the genocide designation as the campaign progresses.
