Chris Mason: Burnham looks to show he will go further than Starmer with West Bank sanctions
The UK government has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, signaling a shift in foreign policy under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The move is part of a coordinated international effort to push for a two-state solution.
Why it matters
This policy change reflects a more assertive UK stance on Middle Eastern territorial disputes and international law.
Image source, PA Media By Chris Mason Political editor Published 8 minutes ago There is little doubt that the UK's decision to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is another significant shift in Britain's posture in the Middle East.
The announcement from the Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband , with the Prime Minister Andy Burnham alongside him in the House of Commons, comes almost exactly a year after the UK formally recognised a Palestinian state . And it comes garnished with blunt language about Israel's conduct.
This latest announcement is both a logical extension of that decision of 12 months ago, senior figures argue, but also, in words and actions, an expression of Burnham's desire to go further than his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer was willing to.
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