The former mayor of Manchester dismissed minister loyal to his predecessor Keir Starmer and hired new ones [GETTY]
Andy Burnham officially became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday and soon appointed a new cabinet of ministers.
The former mayor of Manchester dismissed many cabinet members loyal to his predecessor, Keir Starmer, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, and hired new ones seen as close to him.
The Labour Party has in recent years been criticised for continuing a policy of support for Israel amid its genocidal war on Gaza, and Burnham faces calls to take a tougher stance towards Israel.
The New Arab takes a look at some of the ministers and their stances on Gaza.
Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband, who is a former leader of the Labour Party was appointed as the new Foreign Secretary.
The son of Polish Jewish immigrants, he has previously condemned Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, including the attacks it carried out in the early 2010s, the 2010 flotilla raid and the opposition of Israeli settlements.
However as a minister in Starmer’s government, he took a quieter stance.
Miliband did reportedly press Starmer on recognising a Palestinian state and described the situation in Gaza as an “absolutely abominable level of suffering” as Business and Climate Secretary.
In his first speech since his appointment, the minister promised to “inject new international momentum” into peace efforts for “both Palestinians and Israelis”. At the same time, in his acceptance letter for his new role on X, Miliband did face criticism for referring to Israel’s genocidal war simply as a “conflict in the Middle East”.
Wes Streeting
Former Secretary of Health Wes Streeting resigned under Starmer’s leadership after saying he had “lost confidence” in the former leader, but was appointed as the Secretary of State for Defence by Andy Burnham.
Most recently, since his appointment, Streeting said that Israel has “fallen short” of international standards and reaffirmed concerns about its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, noting earlier reports of war crimes.
While the MP for Ilford made headlines in June defending his stance on Gaza, the health secretary has been criticised over some policies he implemented during his time as health secretary.
A new policy in 2025 meant that NHS staff were banned from wearing pro-Palestine symbols or wearing their uniform at protests, among other political symbols – a move that was condemned by its staff.
At the same time, Streeting has avoided calling Israel’s war a “genocide”, saying it is a matter for international courts and has asserted Israel’s so-called “right to self-defence”.
While Burnham has recently apologised for the Labour Party’s shortcomings in its approach to Gaza, this has not yet translated into an actual tougher stance on Israel and its ongoing deadly attacks and siege in Gaza.
Officials told the Telegraph that Israel’s relations with the UK under Burnham are now “frozen” over the appointment of “certain ministers”, including Miliband in the new government.
