Andy Burnham and his allies set out a vision of Britain moving even further to the Left under his premiership today, hours after he was effectively anointed Labour leader without a fight.The former Manchester mayor last night won the backing of 322 Labour MPs to replace Sir Keir Starmer, in practice meaning no challenger can now get enough support to oppose him.And this morning one of his closest allies in the Cabinet signalled he could put up taxes or increase public borrowing to fund an increase in defence spending.Lisa Nandy told the BBC there were 'other options available' to find a £15bn uplift in cash for the Armed Forces than taking money from elsewhere in government, as set out by Sir Keir last week in the Defence Investment Plan.She also said Labour would be 'faster and bolder' under Mr Burnham and 'will wear our hearts on our sleeve more', adding: 'People will see us taking the fight to any system that stands in the way of them living better lives.'At the same time Mr Burnham moved to woo Labour's hard left with a vow to be tougher on Israel when he enters No10.The de-facto prime minister signalled a tougher stance towards Tel Aviv over its military operations in Gaza following the October Hamas atrocity.His announcement was welcomed by MPs on the far Left of the party, including those in the Socialist Campaign Group that supported ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn - although many of those MPs have so far failed to back him for leader. The de-facto prime minister signalled a tougher stance towards Tel Aviv over its military operations in Gaza following the October Hamas atrocity Culture Secretary Ms Nandy's comments leave open the prospect of Mr Burnham hiking taxes or increasing borrowing to provide the money needed to meet the UK's Nato commitments.Of the 78 MPs who had not backed him by the end of yesterday, many were from the far Left, including former Corbyn shadow ministers John McDonnell and Richard Burgon.In a speech announcing he would stand to be Labour leader last month Mr Burnham said he will lead a decade-long plan to transform Britain by transferring power out of Whitehall and giving regions the ability to control essential utilities, transport and housing.The prospective prime minister promised to set a 'new direction' for the UK, with an outpost of 10 Downing Street based in Manchester to drive his plans to rewire the British state.It would oversee the 'biggest council house building programme since the post war period'. In an attempt to reassure the markets that he would not hike borrowing and taxes to pay for his plans, Mr Burnham promised his measures would be based on 'the stability that comes from sound public finances' and 'the discipline of our current fiscal rules'. But Culture Secretary Ms Nandy's comments leave open the prospect of Mr Burnham hiking taxes or increasing borrowing to provide the money needed to meet the UK's Nato commitments.Last month Sir Keir announced a £15bn increase in defence spending, funded by cuts to other departments. But he left it to Mr Burnham to find almost a third of it after h takes power. Ms Nandy told BBC Radio 4's Today that 'there are choices in front of a new prime minister about how to fund' the increase in defence spending that is needed.'One of those choices, which is the choice that Keir Starmer made, was to find that money from existing spending,' she said.'There are other options available as well. I haven't discussed it in any detail with Andy Burnham, but I know he will want to look at that and make his own choices about… how he thinks the best way to fund that is.'What I'm absolutely convinced about, having known him well now for 17 years, is that whether we fund defence is not going to be a question. The question will be how.' Mr Burnham's team has also held talks with the MP making a new attempt to get a law legalising assisted suicide through Parliament after a previous effort was blocked. Labour MP Lauren Edwards told Sky News she did not expect the new government to move from its position of neutrality on the issue, despite Mr Burnham saying he would 'probably' vote in favour of it before his return to Westminster.In a video on social media, he apologised for Labour's previous stance on Gaza, saying his party 'didn't get it right' under Sir Keir Starmer and the UK had been 'too slow to call for a ceasefire'. In a video on social media, he apologised for Labour's previous stance, saying his party 'didn't get it right' under Sir Keir Starmer and the UK had been 'too slow to call for a ceasefire' Mr Burnham suggested that his government would 'do more to strengthen our approach' towards Israel, including 'looking at further sanctions, both on those involved in the violence in Gaza, but also looking at measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements'.His comments followed an article in The Times in which he said he would seek stability in foreign policy, setting out his commitment to Nato, the nuclear deterrent, maintaining close ties with the US and support for Ukraine as well as closer relations with the EU. Former shadow minister and ex-leadership contender Clive Lewis said the Gaza announcement was 'an important and much-needed first step' and called for it to be followed by a full arms embargo and ban on trade with illegal West Bank settlements. 'For too long this Labour government has fallen short of its obligations under international law – and of basic morality. 'Zero tolerance of antisemitism, Islamophobia and all racism, and an unshakeable commitment to human rights and international law, should never have been difficult things for a Labour government to stand for. 'Now let's turn words into policy: settlement trade ban, full arms embargo.' Former shadow minister and ex-leadership contender Clive Lewis said the Gaza announcement was 'an important and much-needed first step'The message was also retweeted by West Derby MP Ian Byrne, while Andy McDonald, a former shadow minister under Sir Keir, added: 'A majorly positive step in the right direction. Thanks Andy.' James Murray, the Health Secretary who will be out of a job within weeks unless kept on by Mr Burnham agreed that the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.Asked whether he agreed with the prime minister-in-waiting, the Health Secretary told Times Radio: 'I think that yes, by the time we called for a ceasefire, it was overdue.'Israel has repeatedly carried out strikes in Gaza since a US-mediated ceasefire with Hamas was reached last October, saying it is targeting militants who threaten its forces or who took part in the October 2023 attack on Israel.Nikolay Mladenov, U.S. President Donald Trump's appointed Board of Peace envoy to Gaza, has said both sides have violated the agreement.Since the ceasefire took effect nine months ago, more than 1,080 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza, according to figures released by the two sides.