[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-56226-en":3,"doc-seo-56226-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},56226,962075114765,"Quinn","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd",8,"Research & Report","The Independent 2026 July 10 Andy Burnham Gaza Policy And Deportation Editorial","Coverage of Labour leader-in-waiting Andy Burnham as he signals a tougher stance on Israel regarding Gaza and apologises for past delays in calling for a ceasefire. An editorial examines whether Burnham’s pledge to pursue deportation “with nothing off the table” for Shabir Ahmed, leader of a Rochdale rape gang, can be implemented, considering legal barriers in the UK Immigration Act 1971 and Pakistan’s refusal to accept deportees without further conditions. The piece stresses victim protection, information transparency, and the need for policy grounded in reason.","| FRIDAY 1 0 JULY 2 0 2 6 | WWW. INDEPENDENT. CO. UK |\n| --- | --- |\n\nDAVID MADDOXAND MILLIE COOKE  \nAndy Burnham has indicated that under his leadership the Labour Party will adopt a tougher policy on Israel in relation to the Gaza Strip. The  \nMP for Makerfield and primeminister-in-waiting published a short video on social media in which he apologised for Labour’s response to the conflict in Gaza, and admitted that the government had been too slow in calling for a  \nceasefire. He explained: “I know many people feel that atthe start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right, and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better ”  \nFriday 10 July 2026  \nNews/ Editorial   \nVows on grooming gang leader may comeback to haunt Burnham  \nakerfield MP Andy Burnham last week said: “Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country”He was talking about Shabir Ahmed, the leader of a gang of rapists in Rochdale who was released from prison after 14 years. A former dual BritishPakistani national, Ahmed was deprived of his British citizenship as part of his sentence and has since renounced his Pakistani citizenship, rendering himself in effect stateless.  \nMr Burnham said: “Victims must come first ” Rightly so. And he  \npre-empted his appointment as prime minister by adding: “I will ask the home and foreign secretaries to review all possible  \noptions – and they should consider nothing is off the table ”  \nThe current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has already acted on his instruction. She will ask parliament on Monday to change the law that prevents Ahmed’s deportation to Pakistan.  \nShe will seek to amend the Immigration Act 1971, which protects Commonwealth immigrants from deportation if they arrived in Britain before 1973.  \nHowever, this is only the first of the obstacles to removing  \nAhmed from this country.  \nThe next problem is that Pakistan, it has been reported, is refusing to accept him. Mr Burnham seemed to recognise this possibility by his reference to the foreign secretary. It would fall,  \nin the first instance, to whomever Mr Burnham appoints as foreign secretary to renew discussions with Pakistan about the deportation of criminals who have served their sentences.  \nTalks about the deportation of fellow members of Ahmed’s rape gang, Qari Abdul Rauf andAdil Khan, have stalled. They were released from prison four years ago and, like Ahmed, they have renounced their Pakistani nationality. The Pakistani government refused to take them, unless Britain extradited Pakistani dissidents – which is, of course, an unacceptable demand. Islamabad is said to be applying the same conditions to the deportation of Ahmed.  \nThe question for Mr Burnham, therefore, is whether he is willing to break relations with Pakistan by applying diplomatic pressure. Britain could cancel visas, stop foreign aid and apply other sanctions – but this would threaten trade and intelligence cooperation.  \nThe incoming prime minister has made a rod for his own back by declaring that “nothing is off the table” The British public is likely to assume that he meant it. While pragmatists in the Foreign Office will argue that going to war – metaphorically – with Pakistan is not in Britain’s national interest, public opinion is likely to regard it as a price well worth paying to get rid of Ahmed and his associates.  \nThis is an understandable emotional reaction to the horror of the rape gangs’ crimes. Mr Burnham showed empathy in sharing the universal revulsion and the demand to get this “vile” criminal“out of the country” But as prime minister, he has to govern by reason as well as by emotion.  \nWhile Mr Burnham – “like everyone” – wants just to send Ahmed far away, there is a rational argument that he is our problem more than he is Pakistan’s. He came to Britain aged 14 in 1967, so he had lived here for 45 years before his conviction for rape in 2012.  \nThe most important line of Mr Burnham’s stateme","cbCaivlyZWppKexd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivlyZWppKexd","pdf",23759107,3,1,123,"English","en",105,"# Burnham signals tougher Israel stance\n## Apology and call for a ceasefire\n## Shift in Labour’s approach\n# Vows on grooming gang leader may comeback to haunt Burnham\n## Deportation plan for Shabir Ahmed\n## Legal obstacles and Pakistan’s refusal\n## Diplomatic pressure vs national interest\n## Victim protection and accountability","[{\"question\":\"What did Andy Burnham apologise for regarding Gaza?\",\"answer\":\"Burnham apologised for Labour’s response at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza and admitted the government had been too slow to call for a ceasefire.\"},{\"question\":\"Why could the deportation of Shabir Ahmed face UK legal obstacles?\",\"answer\":\"The editorial notes that the Immigration Act 1971 protects Commonwealth immigrants from deportation if they arrived before 1973, requiring a law change to enable removal.\"},{\"question\":\"What problem remains even if UK law is amended for Ahmed’s deportation?\",\"answer\":\"Pakistan has reportedly refused to accept Ahmed unless Britain extradites Pakistani dissidents, and the editorial indicates similar conditions have been applied to deportations from the same rape 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