Meanwhile, another demanded the government withdraw support for US military on UK bases.
The push comes after Burnham made an apology for Labour’s handling of Gaza under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, saying in the weeks ahead of his premiership that the party had “not got it right” on the issue.
The government has signalled that further steps against Israel could be introduced, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband last week announcing that ministers would set out a “comprehensive set of measures” after Israel published documents relating to the E1 settlement development plans in the West Bank.
One model motion circulated by the CLPD titled The Government must act on Israel’s ongoing atrocities against Palestinians stated: “Israel has violated the October 2025 Gaza ‘ceasefire’ thousands of times.
“Israel is on trial for genocide at the ICJ and in 2024 the ICJ judged that Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be unlawful and ruled that Israel was in violation of the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid.”
Protesters gather at St George's Plateau to take part in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstration before marching to the Labour Party conference venue on September 21, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Getty Images)Getty Images
While the motion welcomed Burnham’s apology for Labour’s previous position on Gaza and Miliband’s statement, it added that “decisive action is needed against Israel’s genocide”.
It also called on the government to accept the findings of a previous UN Commission of Inquiry, which was heavily disputed by Israel, impose a full arms embargo, and ban trade that aids or assists Israel’s military actions in Gaza or its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including trade with Israeli settlements.
A separate CLPD motion called on Britain to withdraw permission for the US to use military bases on British territory, which it argues is “a cost of living priority”.
“Conference calls on the government to revoke the authorisation for the US to use bases on British territory to conduct war against Iran,” the motion stated.
Momentum, a Labour socialist group founded by Jeremy Corbyn supporters in 2015, has similarly launched a petition calling for “decisive action in solidarity with the Palestinian people” that has attracted more than 2,400 signatures.
It said Burnham was “right to apologise for Labour's stance on Gaza,” but added that “words won't cut it” and called on the prime minister to implement policies backed by Labour members at last year’s conference, including “recognising the genocide in Gaza in line with the UN Commission of Inquiry, experts and several human rights organisations, imposing sanctions on Israel in response to violations of international law, [and] implementing a full arms embargo,” as well as “unrestricted humanitarian access” to Gaza.
Likewise, the PSC is planning a “march to Labour’s conference” in Liverpool to “demand the new PM take urgent action to Stop Arming Israel and impose sanctions now”.
In a petition to Burnham, the PSC called on the government to “take all reasonable steps to prevent or mitigate the risk of genocide in Gaza”, beginning with comprehensive sanctions and a full arms embargo, as well as a ban on trade in goods and services with Israeli settlements, “and all other trade that aids or assists Israel’s violations of international law”.
It also demanded a reversal of what it describes as “the authoritarian use of public order and anti-terror legislation to suppress protest in support of Palestinian rights,” referring to the proscription of Palestine Action and the arrests of its alleged supporters.
Badges are seen for sale at a 'National Palestine Demonstration' ahead of the annual Labour Party conference in 2025. (Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Labour conference will see the party determine its policy agenda, shaping any future Burnham-backed manifesto.
Which motions are chosen for debate will depend on the makeup of conference delegates, which Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) support them, and any emergency motions.
In the run-up to the 2025 party conference, around 30 motions about Palestine submitted by local parties were struck off by the conference arrangement committee.
At the time, the PSC accused party officials of attempting to stifle debate on Palestine.
Last year's conference did back an emergency motion proposed by the Unison union that referred to “genocide” in Gaza.
That motion called on the Labour government to “employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza” and to “fully suspend the arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement”.
The campaign from Labour’s left-wing factions is set against a backdrop of the party trying to win back some pro-Gaza voters who deserted the party under Starmer.
Polling commissioned by the PSC and Friends of the Earth this summer found that 67 per cent of voters who switched from Labour to the Greens said Palestine was a factor in their decision to leave Labour.
