“Is he willing to take on vested interests?”: From Westminster to Greater Manchester, Greens challenge Burnham in first week as PM

The UK has a new Prime Minister.

But from continuity cabinet appointments, to standard Starmer policy positions, Burnham’s first week on the job has many asking: is this change, or more of the same?

From Westminster to Greater Manchester, Greens have been challenging the new PM to commit to the real change the country needs.

As Zack Polanski said: “There is an affordability crisis, an inequality crisis, and a climate crisis. We will judge Andy Burnham on whether he provides the leadership necessary to deliver solutions.”

“Is he willing to take on vested interests?”

On the day of Burnham’s coronation, Zack made clear where he would focus his attention if he were in the PM’s position.

“We need action on sky high rents, with rent controls, we need to end the rip off and take water into actual public ownership, not tinkering with the existing failed model as is being suggested.

“We need wealth taxes as a first step towards tackling gross inequality and getting serious investment into our economy and public services.”

Key to achieving any of these fundamental changes to how our economy works is a willingness to change the status quo.

But Zack noted that Burnham’s first speech as PM “failed to mention any willingness to challenge the vested interests of the establishment which Labour has become part and parcel of and has driven these crises.”

“The Prime Minister’s speech today will leave many sceptical that Andy Burnham really plans to challenge the wealth and power of the establishment and it all starts to look and sound like more of the same.”

Another fossil fool?

One vested interest that Burnham seems unlikely to take on is the oil and gas lobby.

Repeated reports suggest Labour are set to give the go-ahead to the climate-wrecking Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field.

As Zack said “There is a climate crisis and yet the mood music coming from within the Labour Party has been to reverse policy on North Sea drilling, to appease powerful fossil fuel interests, and Donald Trump.”

And Green MP Adrian Ramsay noted the total omission of climate and nature from Burnham’s introductory speech outside No. 10:

“He failed to mention one of the greatest crises our country is facing: the climate and nature emergency. Burnham must end speculation and commit to no new oil and gas fields. Anything else is a failure of leadership.”

I welcome the new PM to his post, but he failed to mention one of the greatest crises our country is facing: the climate and nature emergency.

Burnham must end speculation and commit to no new oil and gas fields. Anything else is a failure of leadership.

— Adrian Ramsay MP (@AdrianRamsay) July 20, 2026

Amid a summer of extreme heat, drought, and wild fires, a decision to expand North Sea drilling would be all the more blinkered.

Sold on international markets, these fossil fuels would also do nothing to lower UK household bills.

As Zack said: “Only serious investment in renewable energy will provide the energy security and reduced bills that we need.”

Continuity Starmer: more US bombers at UK bases

On his first day in office, Burnham continued what’s now a Labour tradition: appeasing Donald Trump.

Picking up where Starmer left off, the war mongering President was the first world leader Burnham spoke to in No. 10.

And he wasted no time in approving the continued use of UK bases by US bombers for Trump’s illegal war on Iran – even amid the latest escalation by the US which has seen it bomb civilian infrastructure.

Of course, Burnham and his cabinet have questions to answer on the genocide in Gaza too.

Ellie Chowns this week wrote to Wes Streeting, the new Defence Secretary, to ask what steps he will take to end the UK’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

In his brief time out of the cabinet this year, Streeting made public his views that Israel is committing war crimes – expressed both in WhatsApp messages to Peter Mandelson that he made public in February, and again in an interview on the News Agents podcast in June.

As Ellie wrote: “Your appointment therefore marks a first. We now have a Secretary of State in the UK Government who has made public their view that the Israeli government has committed war crimes during the genocide in Gaza.”

This brings with it legal obligations to act. And Ellie challenged Streeting to do so.

“You now have a direct responsibility for the UK’s complicity in these horrors. But as ever, we need action, not words. If you are serious about ending this injustice, you will start by ending the sale of all arms to Israel.”

A few weeks ago, the new Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, said there were “serious and substantial allegations of war crimes” in Gaza.

International Law prohibits states from exporting weapons if they know the arms will be used to commit war crimes, genocide, or crimes against… pic.twitter.com/yO50YlUHUi

— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) July 22, 2026

And the Green Party has challenged another senior member of Burnham’s cabinet to follow through on their words with action.

Louise Haigh – this week promoted to first secretary of state – last year described Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide and asked the Government to impose sanctions on Netanyahu and “his genocidal regime”.

Zack Polanski has today written to her to ask if she stands by her comments and if – more importantly – she will act on them.

Continuity cabinet

Many of Burnham’s other cabinet appointments suggest he hasn’t learnt the lessons of Starmer’s failure.

From his endorsement of Shabana Mahmood’s performatively cruel approach to running the Home Office…

… to the clear signal he wants to prioritise defence spending over, say, support for sick and disabled people by naming John Healey Chancellor…

… to the appointment of Yvette Cooper – second only to Wes Streeting for donations from organisations linked to private health – as Health Secretary, the signs are there that we can expect more of the same.

Especially if you’re a renter.

Just this week, in a video with economist Beth Stratford, Zack outlined the potential win-win of rent controls – both helping millions of renters, and saving the Government money.

Burnham had previously signalled his support for the policy. But on Friday, returned Housing Secretary Angela Rayner confirmed that this Labour government “won’t be looking at rent controls”.

As Zack summed up: “By ruling out rent controls, this new Labour Government are already demonstrating that they have no interests in supporting struggling people in this country – but will always back the interests of the powerful and wealthy.”

Less than a week to elect a Green Mayor of Greater Manchester

The former Mayor of Greater Manchester may have turned his back on renters, but Geraldine Coggins hasn’t.

The Green candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester paid Burnham a visit on Friday to hand deliver a letter urging to change his mind on rent controls.

Affordable housing is a key pledge of Geraldine’s – with plans to create 20,000 affordable homes over 10 years – and as mayor she will keep campaigning for rent controls to help people make ends meet.

The Labour party has failed the people of Greater Manchester on housing. Geraldine is the candidate to replace Labour and defeat the hateful politics of Reform.

Greens can win on Thursday 30 July – with your help.

You can help us replace Labour and defeat Reform. Head over to the campaign website to find out how you can help.

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TWIN GREATER MANCHESTER WITH PALESTINIAN CITY SAYS GREEN MAYOR 


by Phil England

The Green Party’s Greater Manchester mayoral candidate Geraldine Coggins will announce today (Friday 24 July) that she will seek to twin her city-region with the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank if she is elected as Mayor next week. 

Making the announcement outside the Dar ul Uloom Mosque in Manchester’s Longsight District, Coggins will say: 

“Greater Manchester has a proud tradition of international solidarity, from the campaign against apartheid to welcoming refugees fleeing conflict. In that spirit, I will explore opportunities to twin Greater Manchester with Ramallah in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, creating lasting partnerships between our communities and demonstrating our commitment to peace, justice and human dignity.” 

“It is shameful that Andy Burnham and Bev Craig seem unable or unwilling to call out Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Instead, Labour continues to be complicit in these horrific war crimes trading weapons and offering diplomatic and intelligence cooperation. As the Green mayor of Greater Manchester, I will show that another way is possible.” 

Coggins has chosen Ramallah because, like Greater Manchester, it has growing technology, creative and professional services sectors, creating opportunities for collaboration. It is also home to leading universities and research institutions so is well-placed for partnerships with Greater Manchester’s universities. As the de facto administrative centre of the Palestinian Authority and a well-established municipal partner, Ramallah has the capacity to sustain a long-term relationship.  

Notes 

The Green Party was the first to publish a fully-costed manifesto for the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election. Entitled Hope for Greater Manchester it sets out Geraldine Coggins’s plan to take Greater Manchester back from big money and put people and planet before profit.  

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TWIN GREATER MANCHESTER WITH PALESTINIAN CITY SAYS GREEN MAYOR 


by Phil England

The Green Party’s Greater Manchester mayoral candidate Geraldine Coggins will announce today (Friday 24 July) that she will seek to twin her city-region with the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank if she is elected as Mayor next week. 

Making the announcement outside the Dar ul Uloom Mosque in Manchester’s Longsight District, Coggins will say: 

“Greater Manchester has a proud tradition of international solidarity, from the campaign against apartheid to welcoming refugees fleeing conflict. In that spirit, I will explore opportunities to twin Greater Manchester with Ramallah in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, creating lasting partnerships between our communities and demonstrating our commitment to peace, justice and human dignity.” 

“It is shameful that Andy Burnham and Bev Craig seem unable or unwilling to call out Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Instead, Labour continues to be complicit in these horrific war crimes trading weapons and offering diplomatic and intelligence cooperation. As the Green mayor of Greater Manchester, I will show that another way is possible.” 

Coggins has chosen Ramallah because, like Greater Manchester, it has growing technology, creative and professional services sectors, creating opportunities for collaboration. It is also home to leading universities and research institutions so is well-placed for partnerships with Greater Manchester’s universities. As the de facto administrative centre of the Palestinian Authority and a well-established municipal partner, Ramallah has the capacity to sustain a long-term relationship.  

Notes 

The Green Party was the first to publish a fully-costed manifesto for the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election. Entitled Hope for Greater Manchester it sets out Geraldine Coggins’s plan to take Greater Manchester back from big money and put people and planet before profit.  

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Greens react to £2 single bus fare cap announcement


/ by Green Party

In response to the single fare bus cap announced by Andy Burnham, a Green Party spokesperson said:

“We’ve now gone full circle – we are heading back to the £2 cap introduced by the Conservatives and raised to £3 under Keir Starmer.

“Temporary cuts to bus fares are welcome but we need a new direction of travel. We need to permanently offer free travel to al those under 22. And we need to see extensive investment in routes and an increase in services so that taking the bus is a realistic option for many more communities across England. Lower fares are no use if buses aren’t there in the first place.”

Green MP Ellie Chowns MP was also critical of the way the government is choosing to fund the fare cap, which involves changing International Climate Finance grants to loans for low-income countries. She said:

“Reducing bus fares is welcome, but it is morally wrong to do so by loading more debt onto some of the poorest countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis and are experiencing some of its most severe consequences.

“The UK should be demonstrating international leadership on climate justice and debt relief, not making the situation worse.

“Andy Burnham promised change but this is the wrong sort.

“Instead the Government should tax extreme wealth to help provide the resources needed to tackle poverty and invest in climate action, and make the biggest polluters pay for the crisis they have caused.”

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Greens welcome Defence Secretary Streeting’s comments on Israeli war crimes

In a letter to the new Defence Secretary, Green MP Dr Ellie Chowns, has called on Wes Streeting to work with counterparts in the Foreign Office and the Department for Business and Trade to end all arms sales to Israel, following his comments earlier this year that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza.

Wes Streeting in an interview to the News Agents on 5th June 2026 said, “I had seen serious and substantial allegations of war crimes being committed and I felt this country had a moral and legal responsibility to respond.”

The text of the letter sent to Wes Streeting today is below:

21st July 2026

The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP
Secretary of State for Defence

Dear Wes,

I am writing to congratulate you in your new role as the Secretary of State for Defence, and to ask you what steps you will now be taking to end the UK’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

In private correspondence with Peter Mandelson, which you made public in February 2026, you said that Israel was ‘committing war crimes before our eyes’. More recently, on the 5th June, whilst being interviewed by the News Agents podcast, you stated the following: ‘I had seen serious and substantial allegations of war crimes being committed and I felt this country had a moral and legal responsibility to respond.’

Your appointment therefore marks a first. We now have a Secretary of State in the UK Government who has made public their view that the Israeli government has committed war crimes during the genocide in Gaza.

This position has long been held by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), who ruled in 2024 that Israel is ‘plausibly’ acting in breach of the rights and obligations set out under the Genocide Convention. The Court also ruled that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed, and that states must not aid or assist Israel in its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, including through economic or trade dealings (ICJ, 2024). In November 2024 the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and Minister of Defence for war crimes (UN, 2024). And just last month, the UN Independent Commission found that Israel continues to commit genocide, by deliberately targeting Palestinian children (UN, 2026).

As you will know, the UK has obligations under domestic and international law, to stop issuing licences for arms sales if there is a clear risk they might be used to commit serious violations of international law. Further, criterion 2C of the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria states that the government must not issue export licenses if there is ‘a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law’.

As you will also know, as Defence Secretary you now hold responsibility for advising and assisting on military and technical matters to the UK Defence and Security Exports, the government body that exists to help the arms industries sell their products around the world.

This advice can have huge repercussions. Government submissions to the High Court suggested that the F-35 carve out was based on detailed advice from the Defence Secretary (CAAT, 2024). This created the unprecedented loophole that ensured the UK has continued to participate in the production of F-35 fighter jets despite an admission of clear risk of their being used in violations of international law. It is a decision that has degraded our stated principles on arms licensing.

In light of your recent comments, the comprehensive evidence of war crimes, and the responsibilities of your new role, please will you answer the following questions:

What steps will you take to work with counterparts in the Foreign Office and the Department for Business and Trade to end the UK’s complicity in war crimes, and impose a full arms and other military cooperation embargo on Israel?
Will your view, that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, be included in advice from your Department to the Foreign Office and the Department for Business and Trade on UK arms sales, including participation in the F-35 programme, and other military cooperation with Israel?
Now that you have returned to government, will you be making representations to the new Prime Minister that the UK recognise the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry that the Israeli government has committed genocide in Gaza and commit to implementing the July 2024 ICJ ruling in full?

As you have said, we have a moral and legal responsibility to respond to the horrors we have seen, and continue to see, in Palestine. You now have a direct responsibility for the UK’s complicity in these horrors. But as ever, we need action, not words. If you are serious about ending this injustice, you will start by ending the sale of all arms to Israel.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Ellie Chowns
Defence lead for the Green Party of England and Wales

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