The United Kingdom's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has assembled a cabinet in which approximately 40%, including himself, are directly linked to the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) lobby, which works for Israel. LFI's former director, David Mencer, is now the Israeli government spokesperson. Those with indirectly apparent pro-Israel ties comprise almost all of them.
The cabinet also includes individuals involved in the most blatant and indefensible crimes, such as voting for the invasion of Iraq. Burnham himself not only voted for the Iraq invasion in 2003, but even in 2015 he argued that those who made that decision deserved respect.
Many individuals who held ministerial or senior positions during the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer's era are also serving in the Burnham government.
John Healey, whom Burnham made Chancellor of the Exchequer, was Secretary of State for Defense under Starmer. Under Healey, Royal Air Force aircraft flew surveillance missions over Gaza. The type of intelligence shared while Israel continued its genocide remains a matter of debate. Healey also voted for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Another person who voted for the Iraq invasion and served in both the Starmer and Burnham governments is Yvette Cooper, the current Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. She is both a member of LFI and someone funded by the Israel lobby. One of Cooper's most controversial actions while she was Home Secretary was spearheading the designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. While she couldn't offer even empty words against Israel's genocide, this decision, which led to the arrest of hundreds of people protesting to stop the oppression, remains one of the biggest stains on Cooper and those who supported the decision.
As a side note, the organization that began a campaign to ban Palestine Action was We Believe in Israel, which Labour lawmaker Luke Akehurst used to be director of, and the current director is Ido Dimri, who served as Chief of Staff to Israeli minister Amichai Chikli.
Let us continue with Douglas Alexander, who has served as Secretary of State for Scotland across both administrations. He was also one of the supporters of the Iraq invasion. Shortly after being appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2011, Alexander visited Israel with the LFI, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations between the country and the Labour Party. Speaking at an LFI event in 2013, he asserted that Israel’s existence should be celebrated as a progressive cause, denounced the boycott movement, and advocated for stronger ties. In 2025, as Trade Minister, he accused Hamas of “barbarism” and defended the continuation of trade with Israel.
Diana Johnson, who was vice-chair of LFI in 2020, was appointed Minister of State by Starmer, and Burnham kept her in the position. She is known for opposing anti-Zionism and boycotting Israel in an article published in an Israeli newspaper.
Another vice-chair of LFI, Jo White, has become Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office.
Secretary of State for Education Lucy Powell is another member of LFI. Recently, she rightly criticized the X platform. However, her call for restrictions on social media for political expediency has led to criticism that she is targeting free speech.
Speaking of social media regulation, Lisa Nandy deserves special mention. Nandy, who served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport during the Starmer administration, continues in her role under Burnham. The regulation in question is directly her responsibility. However, Nandy chose to simply complain and then leave the X platform that she is supposed to regulate.
Defense Minister Wes Streeting is also known for receiving donations from LFI and for acting in ways that please Israel in parliamentary votes or signature campaigns. Starmer had also appointed him as a minister. Upon taking office, like Burnham, he made a few statements that displeased the Zionists. It must be known that one of the most important issues for Israel is being able to continue its genocide and wars. As long as they do not hinder their fundamental goals, the Zionists will tolerate some words and minor actions taken by politicians to appease their people and keep their reactions under control.
Johnson, White, Powell, Nandy, and Streeting all favored designating Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, but opposed imposing sanctions on Israel.
The cabinet also includes Jewish Ed Miliband. Having held various ministerial or shadow ministerial roles since the Tony Blair era, Miliband was also the leader of the Labour Party from 2010 to 2015. He served as Energy Minister under Starmer and is now Foreign Secretary.
At an LFI event in 2011, he stated: “I’m grateful to Israel, I respect Israel, I admire Israel... I will ensure that the Labour party remains a strong and steadfast friend of Israel.”
After everything came to light, Miliband had made somewhat critical statements about the Iraq invasion while vying to become Labour leader, although he didn't show any opposition to it when it was about to start. However, his first foreign visit after becoming leader was to Afghanistan in 2011, where he addressed troops and supported all combat operations there until the end of 2015. That same year, Miliband also fully supported NATO's bombing of Libya.
Besides Miliband, some other Jewish ministers from the Starmer administration continue in their roles in the Burnham government. One of them, Minister of Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman, was raised within a Zionist youth movement. While she did not support sanctions against Israel, she voted to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. Her grandfather, Solomon Seruya, was close to Shimon Peres and served as Israel's ambassador to the Philippines. Another is Minister for School Standards Georgia Gould, an ally of the Jewish Labour Movement, which identifies itself as Zionist.
When discussing Jews in governmental offices, Baroness Gillian Merron must also be mentioned. As the current Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Mental Health, she has held various ministerial positions since the Tony Blair era. In 2003, she voted for the invasion of Iraq. In 2009, her name was involved in the U.K. parliamentary expenses scandal: the widespread misuse of allowances and expenses permitted to members of Parliament. Telegraph's disclosure was “Gillian Merron claims £4,200 for food in one year. Bills taxpayer for £1,200 worth of furniture and rugs, and more than £1,700 of electrical goods including new washer dryer and hundreds of pounds of household items.”
Jewish Baroness Ruth Anderson is also among those who remain in the ministry with Burnham. She is also a member of the LFI, known for her statements in the House of Lords in 2024 supporting the use of British troops alongside Israel against Iran. And there's the Jewish Lord Mike Katz. He describes himself as a proud Zionist and expresses his satisfaction with the growing number of Zionists in Labour.
The examples could be multiplied. Almost every name has a similar story. Those responsible for initiating an invasion based on lies, causing the deaths of millions, wasting billions of dollars, and leaving behind ongoing problems, should have had their political careers ended. Furthermore, those who misused their funds and have not made significant accomplishments should not have been given new positions. Yet, despite their egregious sins, these individuals continue to rise and hold leadership positions. At the same time, Jews who opposed Israel's atrocities in Palestine were expelled from Labour a few years ago.
It is abundantly clear that those who take steps that serve Israel, even at the expense of the British, are rewarded in U.K. politics. The power that enables this, just as it pushed through the Iraq decision yesterday, is today trying to control the rising opposition to genocidal Israel, ensuring that the British state remains an accomplice to the Zionists. Ultimately, the Burnham government is merely a substitute player, brought on to replace a worn-out counterpart in a corrupt team where those who belong in prison are instead made ministers, lords and barons.
But can Burnham, who demonstrated his adherence to the typical “British resources and decisions are for Israel” mentality by forming his own government with aforementioned people and immediately deciding to open U.K. bases for the use of the United States, make a difference in the smaller issues facing the public? His records present clues.
Since I touched upon the hospital and police scandals in my June 25 article, I will address other issues to avoid repetition:
Burnham has made numerous statements over the years regarding the country's alcohol problem. However, his strategies have been criticized as inadequate. According to the Manchester Evening News, in Greater Manchester, where he served as mayor, alcohol-related deaths continued to rise, exceeding the U.K. average. Now, his close political ties to champions of the alcohol industry have come to light, along with promises to reduce taxes on pubs by 20% and lift the ban on drinking for football fans.
Again, with reference to the Manchester Evening News and to Spectator Australia, in 2017, when he became the mayor, he pledged to eradicate rough sleeping from the streets by 2020. By the end of his first year, it had increased by 44%. He reduced the numbers at one point; they steadily increased in his final years in office, resulting in a complete failure of his promise. Now, he claims they're going to end rough sleeping in the whole country.
In 2016, he pledged “to buy out the absent private landlords who have barely ever been to Greater Manchester and use these properties for the public housing stock.” According to Simply Business, he couldn't deliver this, although he drove a 43% increase in fines on rogue landlords.
Now, Angela Rayner, who was forced to resign as Starmer's minister due to controversy over not paying tax on a property, but whom Burnham controversially appointed Housing Minister, has announced that the government will not implement rent controls. This has been seen as breaking a promise and has drawn considerable criticism. Rayner is known for receiving funding from the Israeli lobby, opposing boycotts of Israel, and, like the vast majority of Labour, voting against an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in 2023.
Although Burnham’s economic program, dubbed "Manchesterism," is acknowledged for its potential to deliver stronger foundations, it has faced criticism that it will fall short and fail to achieve significant success, particularly by drawing parallels to Scotland, where a similar approach was implemented. Reports indicate that even some of Burnham’s allies harbor doubts about his readiness for the role.
Labour's defeat in the general election is almost certain, as is the growing weariness with Israel's prolongation of the war. This government may try to appear somewhat more pro-Palestinian than its predecessor, feeling compelled to do so. However, what they will do will sometimes be the opposite, and sometimes not be satisfactory, neither on this major issue nor on the various domestic problems. A player's capabilities are more or less predictable. It's pointless to expect prime Salah-level performance from the average Israeli footballer, especially when considering the stark differences in their jerseys and objectives.
