Andy Burnham says political leaders must take clear positions quickly. He has certainly found time to take one on Gaza. First came the pre-recorded apology for Labour’s response to the war. Then came yesterday’s conversation with Gary Lineker, released through Lineker’s production company, in which Burnham again presented himself as the man prepared to say what his party supposedly previously lacked the courage to say.

Burnham appears to have calculated that the gullible or malicious parts of his party and the electorate must be placated

Burnham appears to have calculated that the gullible or malicious parts of his party and the electorate must be placated

His choice of interlocutor tells us almost as much as the answers. Lineker, a former footballer and presenter whose interventions on Israel have hardly established him as a searching authority on Middle Eastern affairs, left the BBC after sharing a post about Zionism illustrated with the image of a rat, imagery with an obvious and repellent history. His apology was rejected by leading Jewish representatives as belated and inadequate. Burnham nevertheless decided that this was the setting in which to discuss Gaza, international law and Britain’s future policy towards Israel.Burnham could spend almost seven weeks in Downing Street without facing MPs, Prime Minister’s Questions or an Urgent Question. Against that background, an agreeable exchange with Lineker looks weak and calculating.Burnham’s weird Gaza statement video last week deserved interrogation. He accused Israel of violating the ceasefire, expanding the territory it controls and allowing too little aid into Gaza. He spoke of increasing evidence that war crimes may have been committed. He backed further sanctions and restrictions on trade. He apologised for Labour’s supposedly inadequate initial response, meaning its response in the immediate aftermath of the massacre of 7 October.But what of the Palestinians? He barely mentioned them, beyond painting them as helpless,........

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