ANDY Burnham is set to face pressure from Labour members to recognise Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and impose a full arms embargo at the party's conference next month.
Grassroots groups are preparing to challenge the Prime Minister over his position on Gaza at his first Labour conference since taking office, according to The Guardian.
Momentum, Labour & Palestine, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) are circulating a model motion which local Labour parties can submit for debate at the conference.
It calls on the UK Government to accept the findings of a UN commission of inquiry that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and introduce "comprehensive sanctions", including a full arms embargo.
The motion also calls for a ban on trade which "aids or assists" Israel's military actions in Gaza or its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including trade with Israeli settlements.
Burnham has previously apologised for Labour's handling of Gaza under former prime minister Keir Starmer, admitting the party had "not got it right".
However, he has stopped short of describing Israel's actions as genocide.
Shortly before becoming Prime Minister Burnham said there was "increasing evidence" of war crimes but argued it was for international courts to determine whether genocide had taken place.
He said at the time: "We've got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government … let's be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach."
Burnham's position has caused frustration among Labour MPs, with several calling on him to explicitly acknowledge Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
The move could set up another clash between Labour members and the party leadership over Palestine.
Ahead of Labour's 2025 conference, around 30 motions relating to Palestine submitted by local parties were ruled out of debate.
However, delegates subsequently backed an emergency motion proposed by Unison which called on the Labour government to "employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza".
It also called for the UK to "fully suspend" its arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.
Campaigners are now seeking to force the issue back on to the conference floor, presenting it as an early test of Burnham's pledge not to "stifle debate" within the party.
Sasha Das Gupta, co-chair of Momentum, said: "Burnham must not allow the same failures that alienated voters under Starmer to continue.
"He must listen to the majority of the labour movement and take decisive action on Gaza."
The pressure comes as Labour attempts to win back progressive voters who deserted the party under Starmer.
Polling commissioned by PSC and Friends of the Earth this summer found that 67% of voters who switched from Labour to the Greens cited Palestine as a factor in their decision.
Dan Iley-Williamson, a political organiser at PSC, said: "Burnham's apology for Labour's previous stance on Palestine will mean nothing if his government doesn't decisively break with Keir Starmer's complicity in Israel's crimes.
"Burnham could use this Labour conference to show the country he will make this break with Starmer.
"If he doesn't, he risks the same fate: plummeting support and a legacy of infamy."
