Burnham dismisses Corbyn's demand for independent Gaza genocide inquiry
Prime Minister Andy Burnham turned down Jeremy Corbyn's call for a Chilcot-style independent probe into the UK's involvement in the Gaza conflict.
Jeremy Corbyn sent a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, asking him to back a private member's bill that would create a Chilcot-style inquiry into the United Kingdom’s alleged complicity in the Gaza genocide that began in October 2023. The proposed investigation would examine arms sales, military assistance from the RAF base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, and other forms of cooperation with Israel. Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister, rejected the request, stating that current parliamentary accountability mechanisms are sufficient and that the government’s stance remains unchanged from the previous administration.
Corbyn criticized the refusal, likening it to the Iraq inquiry’s delayed justice and noting his own Gaza Tribunal report, released in March, which concluded Britain breached every legal obligation as Israel pursued genocide. He also recalled Burnham’s earlier call for a ceasefire and his past affiliation with Labour Friends of Israel. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the Labour Party over the UK’s Middle-East policy.
Why it matters
The clash reveals deep divisions in Labour over Britain’s accountability for the Gaza war.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Andy Burnham signals possible UK return to the EU after condemning Brexit
- Sep 30 The Prime Minister now says re‑joining the EU is among the options the government will consider.
- Sep 30 Burnham signaled that full EU membership is among the possible routes Labour could evaluate.
- Oct 3 A new poll shows half of British adults now support rejoining the EU.
- Oct 4 Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative conference by framing the Tories as a common-sense party, unveiling pledges on tighter welfare, prison expansion and free childcare for high-earning families.
- Oct 5 Badenoch pushed to drop the £100,000 childcare tax cap at the conference.
- Oct 6 Announced a cut to employer National Insurance for 21‑ to 24‑year‑olds from 15% to 7.5%.
- Oct 7 Badenoch announced a defence spending target of 3% of GDP.
- Oct 8 Badenoch denounced Reform UK as ethnically exclusive at the conference.
- Oct 8 Burnham announced that the pension triple‑lock will be scrapped after the next general election and its savings will fund a National Care Service.
- Oct 13 YouGov’s latest survey indicates that Reform has reclaimed the third-most-favoured position, surpassing the Conservative Party for the first time since early 2024, though the margin is within the poll’s error range. The poll suggests the Conservatives may have benefited from recent conference coverage, while Labour’s support appears to be fading. In the Commons, MP Burnham affirmed the legitimacy of recent election results but highlighted concerns over foreign actors seeking to influence UK democracy.
- Oct 14 Dean Miller, a Reform UK councillor in Bromley, quit after secret recordings captured him making racist comments and claiming King Charles is Muslim.
- Oct 18 Ipsos poll shows Conservatives have moved ahead of Reform UK in the opposition race.
- Oct 19 The party has suspended activist Jason Powell and opened investigations into several councillors.
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