A PETITION has been launched calling on Andy Burnham to launch a public inquiry into the genocide in Gaza if he becomes the next prime minister.
It demands that the possible challenger to Keir Starmer commit to a “full, independent, public inquiry into Britain’s role in Israel’s operations in Gaza” if he takes the top job.
Burnham recently declined to describe Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people a genocide, going against the judgments of experts from the United Nations and a raft of NGOs and human rights groups.
Asked by The Guardian earlier this month if he would describe the genocide in Gaza as such, Burnham said: “I can’t judge things of that enormity from where I am as mayor of Greater Manchester.”
The petition, launched by Your Party, builds on Jeremy Corbyn’s recent letter to the Makerfield by-election candidate, which called for him to back calls for an inquiry into Britain’s complicity in the Gaza genocide.
The petition said: “The genocide in Gaza is the moral issue of our times, and the public deserves to know not only where those seeking elected office stand on it, but what they are prepared to do about it.
“In your case, this is doubly important, as it is widely speculated that if you win in Makerfield, within months you may be prime minister.
“We need a public inquiry into Britain’s involvement in Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“The issue is too serious to be ignored—evidence suggests Britain has been actively involved in what a wide body of experts believes is a genocide, which the International Court of Justice may very well cooroborate.
“It is vital the public knows what arms have been supplied to Israel; what RAF bases in Cyprus have been used for; what intelligence has been collected during RAF flights; and what legal advice the UK sought regarding its definition and assessment of genocide.”
A Your Party spokesperson said: “Andy Burnham says he wants a change in direction from this Labour government. He can prove it, by backing an independent inquiry into its complicity in genocide.
“Keir Starmer has helped cover up Britain's role in the defining crime of our age. Will Burnham do the same?”
Burnham was approached for comment.
