Burnham expected to keep much of UK foreign policy steady

Andy Burnham is expected to broadly maintain Keir Starmer's position on major UK foreign policy issues if he becomes the UK's next prime minister, including close ties with Kyiv and efforts to improve relations with the European Union after Brexit.

The sharpest possible change could concern Israel and Gaza. The Guardian quoted Burnham as saying many people believed the outgoing government had not handled its response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza well enough after the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants. He said the UK had been too slow to call for a ceasefire and should do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.

Since Starmer took office in July 2024, his Labour government has sanctioned Israeli ministers accused of fuelling settler violence in the occupied West Bank, suspended talks on a new free-trade deal with Israel and formally recognised a State of Palestine. Critics who support the Palestinians say Starmer has not gone far enough. Burnham said further sanctions should be considered and that measures should be examined to ban trade in goods from illegal settlements.

Relations with the United States could also be an early issue. Starmer developed a reputation for handling Donald Trump after Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, but ties later became strained. Trump has criticised the Labour government over defence spending, its reluctance to fully endorse US strikes on Iran and the future of the Chagos Islands, where there is a joint UK-US military base.

Trump recently said he did not know Burnham well and described him as very liberal. Burnham has warned against Britain drifting toward what he called the polarised politics of the United States, while also writing that the US would remain Britain's most important defence and security ally. He said he had not yet spoken to Trump but would deal with him in an upfront way while respecting the office and the US-UK relationship.

On Ukraine, Burnham has pledged to maintain strong British support for Kyiv following Russia's 2022 invasion. He wrote that British support for Ukraine would not falter and linked that position to Britain's role in NATO. He also said the UK's commitment to NATO and its nuclear deterrent would remain absolute.

Burnham, a longtime opponent of Brexit, has repeatedly indicated that he wants closer relations between Britain and the EU. He has written that he wants a closer relationship with European countries and to build on existing UK-EU negotiations, including cooperation on illegal migration, terrorism and AI-driven disinformation. He has ruled out rejoining the EU, while previously saying he hoped Britain would return to the bloc within his lifetime.