UK — A group of 80 UK MPs and peers wrote to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging the government to impose sanctions on Israel. The letter calls for a full arms embargo and a ban on trade linked to Israeli settlements.

The correspondence was led by MP Kim Johnson and signed by notable figures including MP Diane Abbott, MP Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness Jenny Jones, and Baroness Warsi. The group represents a cross-section of parliamentarians pressing the new administration for a shift in foreign policy.

The signatories cite the Genocide Convention, which requires signatories including the UK to take action to prevent genocide upon awareness of a risk. This legal framework forms the basis of their demand for immediate government intervention.

The document calls on the UK government to implement the International Court of Justice ruling in full. It also demands comprehensive sanctions on Israel and a ban on all trade in goods and services with Israeli settlements.

"The letter, led by MP Kim Johnson, urges the government to 'decisively change its stance in order to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel's continued violation of international law,'" she said. She emphasized the moral and legal obligations facing the UK.

She criticized the prior government's approach to international legal rulings. "The previous administration has willfully ignored the rulings of international courts," she said.

She noted that the previous leadership had not adequately responded to specific judicial mandates. "It has still failed to issue a formal response to the July 2024 International Court of Justice judgment [..] which requires Britain to cease all actions that aid or assist [Israel's] grave violations of international law," she said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in July 2024 that Israel's occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) is unlawful. The court mandated states to cease all actions aiding Israel's illegal presence.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (UN-OIC) concluded in a 2024 report that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. The commission urged states to uphold their obligations under the Genocide Convention.

The 2024 ICJ ruling explicitly required all states to 'not recognize' Israel's occupation and 'not render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation.' These directives directly inform the MPs' demands for sanctions and trade bans.

The 2024 ICJ ruling ordered Israel to 'end its presence as rapidly as possible' and 'cease all new settlement activity' in the OPT. This order forms the legal basis for the MPs' demands regarding settlement trade.

She framed the current moment as a critical juncture for the new Prime Minister. "Now is the opportunity for this government and for you, as the new Prime Minister, to truly turn a new page," she said.

Andy Burnham delivered his inaugural speech as UK Prime Minister on July 20, 2026, in London. His tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 20 July 2026 when he accepted an invitation from King Charles III to form a government, succeeding Keir Starmer.

She connected the issue of Palestine to the broader credibility of the governing party. "In an op-ed in Labour Outlook, Johnson said that Palestine has become the 'defining test' of whether the Labour Party still believes that international law applies equally to everyone."

She argued that selective application of legal standards damages global order. "If we condemn violations in one part of the world while excusing or ignoring them elsewhere, we undermine the very rules-based international order that Britain claims to defend," she said.

She addressed the Prime Minister's stated goals for his administration. "Burnham tells us he has a plan to renew confidence in Labour," she said.

She specified that this renewal must include a change in policy toward Palestine. "If that renewal is to mean anything, it must begin by making a clean break with the failures of Starmerism on Palestine," she said.

Outside of parliament, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign called for a total ban on all trade with Israel. This advocacy adds to the pressure on the government to move beyond targeted sanctions.

The letter arrives just days after Andy Burnham assumed office, marking an early test of his government's approach to international law. The signatories argue that compliance with the 2024 ICJ and UN findings is not optional but a legal requirement for the UK under the Genocide Convention.

The cross-party nature of the group, including Labour, Green, and Conservative peers, indicates that the issue transcends traditional party lines. The demands align with the 2024 ICJ ruling that required states to cease aiding Israel's occupation, setting a clear legal benchmark for future UK policy.