Andy Burnham, widely seen as the frontrunner to succeed Keir Starmer as UK prime minister, apologized for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

“I know many people feel that my party didn’t get it right, and I am sorry about that,” Burnham told The Guardian. “The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.”

He added, “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,” Burnham said. “We must now do more to strengthen our approach.”

Burnham said a future government under his leadership would consider additional sanctions on Israeli individuals and entities, as well as potentially banning trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements.