New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledges 'circuit breaker' for British politics

Andy Burnham became Britain’s prime minister on Monday, the country’s seventh leader since 2016, replacing Keir Starmer. Burnham, 56, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, was elected Labour Party leader unopposed on July 17. In his first remarks, he pledged a “10-year plan” to address the cost-of-living crisis, reduce homelessness, and expand public control over essential services, vowing to “make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain.” He also stated, “We will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.”

• Burnham expressed regret over the previous government's response to the Israel-Hamas war, stating, “The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”
• He called for considering “further sanctions” on Israel and examining measures “to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements,” while emphasizing, “There is no contradiction between a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism and holding the Netanyahu government to account.”
• Jewish leaders, including Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, congratulated Burnham, with Rosenberg welcoming his “early commitment to tackling antisemitism.”