Burnham sparks anti-Semitism row after handing ministerial post to MP who met Hamas officials with Jeremy Corbyn

By CHRISTIAN CALGIE, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE Published: 23:13, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 23:15, 25 July 2026 Andy Burnham has sparked an anti-Semitism row after handing a top ministerial posting to an MP who met Hamas officials alongside Jeremy Corbyn. Andy Slaughter, who has quietly represented Hammersmith for over 20 years, finally got his big break this week as he was appointed Solicitor General in the reshuffle. He will now be responsible for overseeing the Crown Prosecution Service's terrorism, hate crime and anti-Semitism prosecutions, as well as supporting with legal advice on sanctions and arms sales. His appointment sparked criticism from both opposition politicians and a Labour Jewish group. Slaughter is a long-standing critic of Israel, but his statements have previously been accused of veering into promoting anti-Semitism. In 2010 he posed with Hamas officials alongside Jeremy Corbyn while on a visit to the West Bank, a move condemned at the time by Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) as 'shocking'. In 2015, while attending a meeting on Palestine, Slaughter was alleged to have agreed with the proposition that Israel 'fabricates and invents' reasons to attack or kill innocent Palestinians, which multiple Jewish organisations said risked 'encouraging anti-Semitism in Britain'. In 2021 Mr Slaughter was accused by the Campaign Against Antisemitism of excusing anti-Jewish racism in Palestinian school textbooks, and in 2024 he opposed legislation aimed at preventing public bodies and local councils from boycotting Israeli goods. Labour MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick, Andy Slaughter, was appointed Solicitor General in the reshuffle this week. In 2010 he posed with Hamas officials alongside Jeremy Corbyn while on a visit to the West Bank Andy Burnham's decision to make the appointment has now sparked an anti-Semitism row. Here the Prime Minister is pictured on a run near his house in Warrington, Cheshire on Saturday Jeremy Corbyn, far right, and fellow Labour MP Andy Slaughter, far left, pose with Hamas officials Ahmad Attoun, Khaled Abu-Arafah, and Muhammad Totah during a secret trip to Ramallah Fiona Sharpe, spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism, told the Mail on Sunday: 'Andy Slaughter has a long and troubling record that raises serious red flags for Labour Against Antisemitism. 'With antisemitism at record levels in Britain and the Jewish community feeling increasingly under threat, we would want him to state clearly, now that he holds one of the government's most senior legal offices, that he no longer holds views of this kind.' Former Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis added: 'The Jewish community are right to be deeply concerned about the future of this country under this Prime Minister.' Nick Timothy, the Conservatives' shadow Justice Secretary, branded his appointment a 'disgrace' and said he 'should have no place in government'. Earlier this month, shortly before becoming Prime Minister, Mr Burnham apologised for Labour's stance on Gaza as he claimed Sir Keir Starmer's government 'didn't get it right'. He argued: 'We've got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government … Yes, we have taken some important steps … But let's be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.' A spokesperson for the Attorney General's office insisted Mr Slaughter 'has been consistent in condemning the actions of Hamas and has long supported a two-state solution in which a viable Palestinian state and Israel can live in peace side by side.'