Labour conference set for Gaza motion showdown as Burnham faces pressure to name genocide

Grassroot Labour groups are preparing to force a decision on Gaza at the upcoming party conference, seeking to compel Prime Minister Andy Burnham to formally recognise Israel’s actions as genocide. Momentum, Labour & Palestine, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign are circulating a model motion for members to submit. The proposal demands the government accept the findings of a UN commission of inquiry and impose comprehensive sanctions, including a full arms embargo and a ban on trade that aids Israel’s military actions.

The motion specifically calls for a ban on trade with Israeli settlements and any commerce that “aids or assists” military operations in Gaza or the occupied Palestinian territories. This push follows Burnham’s recent apology for the party’s handling of the issue under Keir Starmer, in which he stated Labour had “not got it right.” However, the prime minister has stopped short of explicitly using the term genocide, previously arguing that while there is “increasing evidence” of war crimes, it is for international courts to make the final ruling.

The conference is viewed as an early test of Burnham’s promise not to stifle internal debate. In the run-up to the 2025 conference, approximately 30 motions regarding Palestine were struck off the agenda, triggering accusations that the leadership was suppressing discussion. Despite this, delegates at the 2025 conference backed an emergency motion proposed by Unite to “prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza” and “fully suspend the arms trade with Israel.” The current groups are seeking to force the issue back onto the conference floor, with Momentum launching a petition aimed at current and former members.

Pressure on the government is also coming from diplomatic channels. More than 100 British and French diplomats have written to Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron, urging tough action including the suspension of arms transfers. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has signalled that ministers will set out a “comprehensive set of measures” following Israel’s progress with E1 settlement plans in the West Bank. Additionally, Emily Thornberry has stated that Britain should ban imports from the occupied West Bank amid concerns over settlement expansion.

The political stakes are high as Labour seeks to win back progressive voters who defected to the Greens under Starmer. Polling commissioned by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Friends of the Earth found that 67 per cent of voters who switched parties cited Palestine as a factor in their decision. Sasha Das Gupta, co-chair of Momentum, argued that Burnham must listen to the majority of the labour movement to avoid the failures that alienated voters previously.

Dan Iley-Williamson, a political organiser at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, warned that Burnham’s apology would be meaningless without a decisive break from previous policy. He stated that the prime minister risks a legacy of infamy if he fails to show the country he is moving away from Starmer’s approach. The UK Foreign Office was approached for comment ahead of the conference.