‘Manchesterism at home and abroad’

“Good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart”. Nobody could deny the boldness of the ambition that Andy Burnham set out on Monday. Nothing less than a rewired and more equal economy founded on devolution of power and grounded in a new sense of purpose built on  values held in common; a belief that everyone has the right to a decent future, irrespective of where they come from.

At a time of deep disillusion with politics and politicians, many people will have found it refreshing to see a politician who is prepared to tell it how it is and, above all, who seems to be someone who stands for something.

Andy has the opportunity to build a renewed sense of trust in politics in general and Labour in particular.

READ MORE: ‘Labour MPs and members back action on Palestine. Leadership must listen and act’

Most of that trust will, of course, need to be earned through the delivery of Andy’s ambitious domestic agenda. But there is also an international issue that has become a touchstone for whether or not people believe that the values politicians proclaim are consistent; that they possess the kind of moral compass that is a perquisite for public trust. That issue is Gaza. 

In a powerful contribution to LabourList two weeks ago, Muddassar Ahmed evidenced the depth and breadth of demands amongst 

Labour members for concrete action by Minsters to demonstrate that UK policy towards Israel and Palestine amounts to more than hand-wringing.

It’s not only Labour members demanding a reset of the government’s approach either. A recent You Gov poll found that 6 in 10 people across the country oppose Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza and people see double standards in the contrast between UK’s willingness to impose sanctions and other measures on Russia over its illegal actions Ukraine and what often appears a kid gloves approach to actions by Israel that are equally illegal.

Public anger over Gaza cost Labour Parliamentary seats two years ago and council seats in May this year. There is no sign that this anger has subsided since then.

For many people, the  extent to which Andy Burnham is prepared to reset UK policy towards Israel and Palestine will be an important test of how far he can be trusted on issues much closer to home if he becomes Prime Minister.

It is in this context that The Britain Palestine Project (BPP) and the Council for Arab Understanding (CAABU) has published a pledge card for calling for five new policy commitments from the incoming Labour Prime Minister to reset UK policy towards Israel and Palestine. 

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Every pledge is based on a clear commitment to uphold international law by the UK – in its own actions as a sovereign state and in fulfilling its responsibilities as a member of the United Nations.

The first pledge calls to ban all UK trade of goods and services with  illegal Israeli settlements so that UK businesses and NGOs do not support, sustain or profit from illegality.

In a clear statement that accountability matters, the second pledge calls for the UK to play its full part in enforcing the decisions handed down by the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court  – applying the same rule of law to Palestine as to Ukraine.

Pledge three is about demonstrating that we are no longer prepared to tolerate the humanitarian nightmare through which Palestinians are still living – by requiring unrestricted access for UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations in line with longstanding principles of international humanitarian law.

The fourth pledge is about getting to the truth – by demanding that Israel open occupied Palestine, including Gaza, to journalists, international politicians and investigators, and that the lives of journalists are protected as required by the Geneva Conventions.

Pledge five calls for Britain to work with allies to bring an end to all unlawful occupations in the Middle East – including those in Syria and The Lebanon as well as Palestinian territory. Labour has recognised Palestine as a sovereign state. Labour must be clear that Palestinians have the right to exercise that sovereignty in practice.

None of the pledges called for by the BPP and CAABU are extreme. They simply expect the UK to apply the same standards of international law to Palestine that we pride ourselves as upholding elsewhere. It is about demonstrating that a consistent moral compass guides Labour’s actions both at home or abroad.

A reset of UK policy towards Israel and Palestine by Andy Burnham as Prime Minister will demonstrate consistency with the values he articulated in his Manchester speech. It will help earn him the public trust that will be vital to sustain him and his vision in practice.

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