Andy Burnham has been confirmed as the new leader of the Labour Party and the UK's next prime minister, succeeding Keir Starmer. During the Labour Special Conference in London on July 17, 2026, Burnham outlined his foreign policy vision, which includes bolstering ties with Kyiv and the European Union post-Brexit, while also signaling a tougher stance on Israel. He acknowledged that the previous government's response to the Gaza conflict was insufficient and suggested further sanctions and measures to ban trade with illegal settlements. This comes as Labour faces pressure from its left wing and voter shifts toward the Green Party over the Gaza issue.
Andy Burnham after being confirmed as the Labour Party's new leader and the country's next prime minister, during 'Labour's Special Conference' in central London, Friday July 17, 2026.
Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. This includes bolstering London's close ties with Kyiv and plans to strengthen relations with the European Union after the rancour of the Brexit years. But in line with a growing clamour on the left wing of the Labour Party angered by the Gaza conflict, he could take a tougher line on Israel.
The Guardian quoted Mr Burnham as saying that many people thought the outgoing government"didn't get it right" in its response to Israel's military onslaught on Gaza following the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants.
"I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better," the paper quoted him as saying earlier this month. Since Mr Starmer took office in July 2024, his Labour government has sanctioned Israeli ministers accused of fuelling settler violence in the occupied West Bank, suspended negotiations on a new free-trade deal with Israel and formally recognised a State of Palestine.
But defenders of the Palestinians say Mr Starmer has not gone far enough, and a poll indicated some voters have abandoned Labour for the Green Party, whose leader has accused Israel of committing genocide.
"Yes, we have taken some important steps... But let's be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.
" Mr Burnham said further sanctions should be considered and measures should be examined"to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements". US President Donald Trump, left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney arrive for a group photo at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday June 16, 2026.
Mr Starmer gained a reputation as a"Trump whisperer" in the early days after Donald Trump returned to the White House for his second term as US president in January 2025. Despite the much-vaunted"special relationship" between the US and Britain, Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the Labour government over defence spending, its reluctance to fully endorse US strikes on Iran and the future of the strategically important Chagos Islands, home to a joint UK-US military base.
Asked recently about the former mayor of Manchester, the US leader said he did not know him well. For his part, during his by-election campaign, Mr Burnham warned voters that Britain risked drifting towards the"polarised, poisonous politics" of the US, where"people in communities don't work together any more". But he also wrote in The Times:"Our relationship with the US will remain critical as our most important defence and security ally.
" He told former footballer Gary Lineker on his podcast that although he had not yet spoken to Mr Trump, he would deal with him in an"upfront" manner. "It's about respecting the office... the US-UK relationship, but where you disagree ... do it in a way that is kind of meeting him where's he's at. "Support for Ukraine remains one of the rare issues which enjoys near-unanimous cross-party backing across British politics.
Mr Burnham has vowed to maintain the strong backing for Kyiv begun under former Conservative premier Boris Johnson following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Like Mr Starmer, he sees that commitment as closely linked to Britain's role within NATO. CLOSER EU TIES A longtime opponent of Brexit, Mr Burnham has repeatedly signalled his desire to build closer ties between Britain and the European Union.
He wrote in The Times that he wanted"an even closer relationship with countries across Europe" to"consolidate the progress made on the existing UK-EU negotiations". He also pointed to cooperation on illegal migration, tackling terrorism and AI-driven disinformation. He has ruled out rejoining the EU but said previously he hoped Britain would return to the 27-nation bloc within his lifetime.
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