Even before Ed Miliband took to his feet in the House of Commons to announce the UK Government’s decision to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Foreign Secretary will have known that the issue is going to drive a major wedge between No 10 and the White House.
As early as last weekend, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, accused Andy Burnham’s Government of “Jew hate” that “knows no boundaries and knows no facts”. (The ambassador now claims that he knew Miliband is Jewish when he made the incendiary comment.)
In the hours leading up to Miliband’s official pronouncement, Huckabee went even further, telling the BBC that there would “without a doubt” be a reaction from Washington to Burnham’s decision. “Something like this with a partner, Israel” would have a “huge economic impact on British businesses”, he warned.
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politics
UK sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlements spark backlash
Caption: New Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband leaving number 10 Downing Street, London. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has entered number 10 Downing Street and among his first tasks is the selection of his new Cabinet. Picture date: Monday July 20, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
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The UK Government faces backlash after announcing sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as part of what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called a “reset” of Britain’s relations with Israel.
Sanctions on Israeli settlements
Land seizures and displacement of Palestinian populations in the West Bank have sharply escalated over the past three years. Other countries including Spain, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands have already implemented sanctions.
Caption: The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, backdropped by the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank city of Bethlehem (R), is seen in the Israel-annexed East Jerusalem on August 14, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)
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Caption: An Israeli soldier stands guard against the backdrop of newly established Israeli settlement outpost in Beit Sahur, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank on August 14, 2026. Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has increased dramatically since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas from the Gaza Strip. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians in the territory. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)
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Israel’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, said settlers had taken 100,000 hectares of land from Palestinians during that time – about 18 per cent of the West Bank – and 64 communities of around 4,000 residents have been displaced.
New position
The UK’s new stance under Prime Minister Andy Burnham will see a ban on imports from illegal settlements in the West Bank and sanctions on individuals and firms providing services to settlers.
Caption: In this video grab taken from footage broadcast by the UK Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) via the Parliament TV website in the House of Commons on September 8, 2026, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband delivers a speech on an import ban of goods from illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. (Photo by PRU / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – NO USE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, SATIRICAL, ADVERTISING PURPOSES – MANDATORY CREDIT ” AFP PHOTO / PRU “
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Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 08, 2026: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Ed Miliband arrives in Downing Street to attend weekly Cabinet meeting in London, United Kingdom on September 08, 2026. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Miliband said the British Government believed the occupation as a whole was unlawful, going beyond the previous position that only described the settlements themselves as illegal. He also said there was increasing evidence that Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza.
What are the sanctions?
New research has found that eating an avocado a week can cut the risk of heart disease by a fifth
Israel’s free trade agreement with the UK means only goods from the West Bank will be affected.
These include Medjool dates, mangoes, grapes and avocados.
5 min read
‘Ethnic cleansing’
The British Government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists. And all too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this.
ed miliband, foreign secretary in the house of commons today
Caption: Screen grab of Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband making a statement on Israel-Palestine in the House of Commons, central London. Picture date: Tuesday September 8, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire
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Watch: Miliband’s announcement
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced that the UK will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Government will also introduce a new “comprehensive sanctions regime” targeting the settlements.
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Was Trump told?
Burnham discussed the Middle East with US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Monday.
It is unclear to what extent Trump was briefed on the sanctions in advance, or what his reaction was.
However, several Israeli and US officials have already criticised the UK’s stance.
Analysis
3 min read
US hints at ‘retaliation’
I don’t know what all of the national sanctions or repercussions or retaliations will be from the US, hasn’t been announced yet.
Mike Huckabee, the American ambassador to Israel, has called the sanctions “Jew hate” and hinted that the US could retaliate against the UK, including by some states barring deals with British businesses.
Caption: FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee gestures during a press conference after he met residents of Turmus Ayya, a Palestinian town near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that is home to many American citizens, September 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo
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What about Israel’s response?
Israeli President Isaac Herzog labelled the trade ban a “gross interference” in the country’s upcoming elections and said it placed Britain “on the wrong side of history”.
Meanwhile, the country’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said Israel will introduce several countermeasures in response to the UK’s “hostile” actions. Israel is to close Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem and has kicked it out of the US-led mission for Gaza.
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Domestic reaction
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp is among those voicing domestic criticism of the move by Burnham’s government.
He called the sanctions “performative posturing” which will be “practically very difficult to implement” and said that the Conservative Party does not support them as they “risk damaging an important security relationship” with Israel.
Caption: Shadow home secretary Chris Philp during a briefing with Surrey Police ahead of a raid for Class-A drugs at a property in Cranleigh, Surrey. Picture date: Tuesday August 4, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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3 min read
UK politics
Greens vying for Starmer’s old seat in October by-election
Caption: Green Party leader Zack Polanski speaking at Niamos in Hulme as the party?s Greater Manchester mayoral candidate Geraldine Coggins launches her manifesto for the election. Picture date: Thursday July 9, 2026.
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With the by-election to replace former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer just a month away, a local Green Party politician is challenging Zack Polanski for the nomination.
In-fighting for the Greens
The by-election to replace Starmer as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras will take place on 8 October but the Green Party, Labour’s main opposition for the seat, is still yet to select its candidate.
Caption: Green Party leader Zack Polanski speaking during a press conference at Church House in central London. Picture date: Wednesday August 5, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
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Caption:
Councillor Hamza Chowdhury
Image: https://camden.moderngov.co.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=7139
Polanski (right) announced his intention to run last week, but local Camden Green councillor Hamza Chowdury (left) said he wants to stand and has the support of six of the ten Green Camden councillors.
‘Choose someone here’
We don’t need another MP who arrives during an election campaign, puts out a few leaflets, makes a few promises and disappears once the votes are counted… I’m asking you to choose someone who is already here.
local councillor Hamza Chowdhury
Caption: A sign supporting the Green Party political party is displayed in a residential street on the eve of local and mayoral elections in England and devolved parliamentary elections in Wales and Scotland on May 7, in London, Britain, May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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How are the Greens’ chances?
At the 2024 general election, Starmer held the seat with 49 per cent of the vote, ahead of independent candidate Andrew Feinstein – who is not expected to run in the upcoming by-election – in second place on 19 per cent. The Greens came third on 10 per cent.
In May’s local elections, the Greens made gains to become Labour’s main opposition.
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Caption: TX DATE:27-03-2026,TX WEEK:12,EMBARGOED UNTIL: 00:00:00,PEOPLE:Monty Don,DESCRIPTION:,COPYRIGHT:BBC Studios,CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios
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news
What next for Monty Don after Gardeners’ World exit
Monty Don is to step down from presenting his weekly BBC show Gardeners’ World at the end of its current series later this year, following more than 20 years at the helm.
Don will see out this season before stepping down
Don, 71, has hosted Gardener’s World since 2003, initially from Berryfields in Buckinghamshire.
He began welcoming audiences to his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire, in 2011.
Viewers enjoy glimpses of his dogs alongside gardening tips and tricks.
He plans to continune writing and work on other BBC programmes.
Interview
7 min read
‘A deeply rewarding experience’
That connection with millions, not just in Britain but across the world, who share a love of gardens, plants and the natural world is something I have always treasured and which I increasingly believe to be at the heart of a life well lived.
Monty don, gardeners’ world presenter
Monty together with his dog, Ned (Photo: Toby Melville/REUTERS)
BBC pays tribute
Monty is utterly unique, a wonderfully engaging broadcaster with a soothing, calm presence who has inspired so many with his passion for gardening. We will miss him on the show hugely.
Kate Phillips, BBC’s chief content officer
Adam is best known for his work on ‘Gardeners’ World’ (Photo: BBC Studios)
ROYAL PICTURES
Prince George pictured on first day at Eton College
Caption: ETON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 8: Catherine, Princess of Wales (L) and Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George of Wales (C), as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026 in Berkshire, England. (Photo by Adrian Dennis – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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The future king Prince George arrived at the prestigious boarding school Eton College, where he will follow in the footsteps of his father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry, for his first day on Tuesday.
Royal family arrive in rain
George’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied him from their nearby home Forest Lodge in Windsor, braving the heavy rain to escort him to school.
Caption: Prince George, accompanied by his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, starts his first day at Eton College in Windsor, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday September 8, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Adrian Dennis/PA Wire
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Caption: Prince George begins his first day at Eton College in Windsor, Berkshire. Picture by Matt Porteous / Kensington Palace
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Eton fees exceed £63,000 per year, with a rigorous academic selection process. It has turned out twenty prime ministers over the years, as well as educating royalty.
Hopes for privacy
Eton is used to catering to famous children with security requirements, including recent royals from Ethiopia and Nepal.
It is expected that George will be largely free from press intrusion over the next five years, though some photos of him playing sport or acting in school plays are possible.
Caption: ETON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 8: A general view of Eton College ahead of the arrival of 13-year-old Prince George of Wales for his first day at Eton College on September 8, 2026 in Berkshire, England. (Photo by Adrian Dennis – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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6 min read
politics
The hefty cost of Burnham’s slick social media campaign
Andy Burnham is spending up to £1m a year on expanding No 10’s social media operation, The i Paper can reveal, as the Prime Minister tries to connect with audiences on TikTok and Instagram.
Here’s where that money is going.
Where do the figures come from?
The Cabinet Office advertised 13 roles in July
Lowest salary – £37,922
Social videographer.
Highest salary – £80,342
Head of social and creative production.
Total cost – £1.04m
if everyone is paid the highest band offered, including pensions and national insurance.
7 min read
Where is the money going?
EXCLUSIVE | Andy Burnham is spending up to £1m a year on expanding No 10’s social media operation, The i Paper can reveal, as the Prime Minister tries to connect with audiences on TikTok and Instagram. The Cabinet Office advertised 13 roles in July focused on social video and online content, ranging from a social videographer on £37,922 to a head of social creative and production on £80,342. Combined, the salaries for these roles range from £617,246 to £731,933 a year, depending on where in each pay band successful candidates are appointed.
♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
What do colleagues think?
Burnham’s dedication to promoting the Government’s work on social media has been celebrated by Labour colleagues, after his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, was criticised for a lack of communication skills while prime minister.
One such Labour MP told The i Paper: “Burnham’s just got that touch when it comes to communication. … We’re getting way more cut-through already.”
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 02, 2026: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham departs 10 Downing Street for the House of Commons to attend the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in London, United Kingdom on September 02, 2026. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
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Exclusive
2 min read
Burnham vs Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer is to stand down as an MP months after quitting as Prime Minister (Photo: Isabel Infantes/Reuters)
In his first 90 days on TikTok, Starmer received 59.3 million views to Burnham’s 78.1 million.
Burnham has hit 752,000 Instagram followers since taking office, with his predecessor peaking at 852,000 after two years.
3 min read
France artwork heist – multiple pieces stolen from Renoir Museum
Two thieves tried to steal four artworks from a museum dedicated to the impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in southern France on Tuesday, dropping two paintings as they fled the scene.
Caption: A police officer stands in front of the entrance of the Musee Renoir after four paintings, valued at nine million euros, were stolen from the museum in an early-morning break-in, with two suspects still at large, in Cagnes-sur-Mer on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: VALERY HACHE
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What we know
Two thieves carried out the raid at the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Tuesday morning, officials have said.
Wire fencing was cut for access, and museum alarms went off at 5:48am local time, according to the local mayor.
Startled by the alarms and police sirens minutes later, the thieves dropped two paintings in the museum’s garden.
However, the pair escaped with the other two pieces and remain at large.
‘Well equipped’ thieves
Cagnes-sur-Mer’s mayor, Bryan Masson, described the perpetrators as”well equipped” and “well informed” when speaking to the media on Tuesday.
In comments translated from French, he said the thieves “were wearing helmets, gloves, and combat gear” and carried “an electric knife and hacksaw” to cut the fence and gain access to the garden.
Video footage then showed the group cutting through structures holding the paintings’ frames in place before they began their escape, Masson said.
Caption: Rassemblement National (RN) Mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer Bryan Masson makes a statement outside the Musee Renoir after four paintings, together valued at nine million euros, were stolen in an early-morning break-in, with one recovered nearby and two suspects still at large, in Cagnes-sur-Mer on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: VALERY HACHE
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The stolen works
The four works initially targeted in the heist – Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895), Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910), Coco Lisant (1905) and Jeune fille au puits (1886) – were valued together at over £7.7m, according to reports from France.
Caption: A camera of the forensic police is seen during an investigation near a hole in the outer fence of the Renoir Museum after four paintings were stolen by thieves in an early-morning break-in, with two recovered nearby, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz
Photographer: Manon Cruz
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Source: REUTERS
Caption: Painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano
Image: Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renoir_-_Portrait_de_Madame_Colonna_Romano,_non_dat%C3%A9.jpg
According to an update from the local mayor’s office later on Tuesday morning, the two pieces the thieves made it out with were: Madame Colonna Romano (left above) and Jeune femme au puits (next slide).
Also missing: Jeune fille au puits
Caption: Painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Jeune femme au puits
Image: Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renoir_-_Jeune_femme_au_puits,_non_dat%C3%A9.jpg
Latest French museum heist
Prior to the robbery, the Renoir Museum was home to 12 paintings by the artist, who died in 1919.
The museum was opened in 1960, in Renoir’s last home before his death.
This heist comes less than a year after eight items valued at about £76m were stolen in a daylight robbery from the Louvre in Paris.
2 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
France is loaning the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum for the first time since it was made almost 1,000 years ago – so how can you get tickets? The 70 metre long artwork tells the story of the Norman conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. A whopping 80,000 people waited in the online queue for tickets, leaving many disappointed. But for those who missed out, the museum will soon be releasing another batch.
♬ original sound – The i Paper
“It’s a discrimination against the Israeli government. It’s a discrimination against the Jewish people…it’s like throwing a stone and not having an idea of where it’s going to land.” But he went on to indicate exactly what ripples could follow, predicting Israeli reprisals that could bar the UK from purchasing Israeli-made pharmaceuticals that are widely used in Britain, and the possibility of British businesses even being banned from trading with Florida. Although the latter, of course, would wreak enormous harm on Florida, Donald Trump’s home state, too.
Randy Fine, a Republican with a history of making Islamophobic remarks, who represents Florida’s 6th congressional district in the House of Representatives, warned on Monday that the UK’s “vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars” in lost trade with the Sunshine State under anti-boycott laws.
Two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers – already sanctioned by the UK over incitement of violence against Palestinians – have threatened Britain with recognising Argentinian sovereignty of the Falklands Islands, claiming they had been violently stolen by Britain. Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the UK of stealing money from Argentina through oil drilling, and urged Benjamin Netanyahu to impose sanctions. Meanwhile Bezalel Smotrich called for the expulsion of the British ambassador. “We will not be a doormat trampled by an antisemitic government,” he wrote on X.
Trump has already suggested he could rethink neutrality on Britain’s sovereignty of the Falklands, suggesting last week he might not come to Britain’s aid in a potential territorial dispute.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned of a ‘huge economic impact on British businesses’ folllowing the Government’s decision (Photo: Issam Rimawi/Getty)
Trump may easily have suggested similarly in his conversation on Monday with Burnham. While the official No 10 readout of their call claims that the Prime Minister merely “set out the UK’s commitment to working towards peace and security in the region, stressing the importance of the two-state solution”, Burnham reportedly warned Trump of his decision to bar trade with Israeli settlers.
After that call, Bloomberg News reported that No 10 started taking steps to portray the Government’s decision as “largely symbolic” and not intended to have a “material impact on the UK’s wider relationship with Israel on trade and security”. The effort may also have been designed to blunt any American response, with every expectation that Trump will vent his fury publicly as soon as microphones are dangled in front of him on Tuesday.
Of course, Trump himself may actually be less than bothered by UK sanctions over the West Bank. Last year he said the United States and Israel did not agree “100 per cent” on the West Bank, when asked if he was concerned about Israeli settler violence. He has shown far more interest in Britain’s policies on the North Sea, free speech, online safety restrictions and migration rather than anything to do with Israel. Yet others in his administration who hold stronger, pro-Israel views on the topic could still make life difficult for Britain.
Even before his first face-to-face meeting with Trump, Burnham may already have been on a collision course with the US leader. It comes at a moment when US officials have already supplied Nato member states with a questionnaire they are required to complete so that Washington can check their degree of public support for Trump’s foreign policy priorities. That move, part of a six-month Pentagon review of US troop presence in Europe, is widely being seen as a loyalty test for Trump’s allies, as the Pentagon checks their “alignment” with the President’s global vision.
While Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu, has been rocky, especially since the two countries launched their fruitless war on Iran on 28 February, the US government remains committed to seeing the Israeli Prime Minister retain power after Israel’s election next month.
Burnham has failed, so far, to deliver on either of Trump’s two major requirements for any UK government: opening up the North Sea for unrestricted fresh drilling for oil and gas and closing Britain’s borders entirely to asylum seekers and other migrants. However, the Prime Minister is expected to approve new drilling at the controversial Jackdaw gas field off the Scottish coast.
Burnham can easily point out an extraordinary degree of hypocrisy at the heart of the American government’s response to London’s announcement on the West Bank, because even while Huckabee was accusing Burnham and Miliband of “Jew hate”, he was delivering a very different message in an interview with The Jerusalem Post published on Monday.
“They’re not settlers. They’re unsettlers…doing things that are intentionally disruptive,” he said of Jews in the occupied West Bank who are increasingly besieging Palestinian villages, attacking their Palestinian neighbours, and launching violent assaults on Israeli, Palestinian and international news crews who have been reporting the growing violence in recent weeks.
“We’ve certainly been very vocal in expressing concerns to the Israeli government,” said Huckabee. “If you want more good behaviour, reward the good behaviour. If you want less bad behaviour, put consequences on it,” he said, without any apparent hint of irony.