Keir Starmer today insisted he ‘stands by’ his decision to snub Donald Trump’s Iran strikes despite a brutal rebuke from the president.
Making a statement to MPs on the mounting crisis, the PM acknowledged that the US was not happy that the UK initially refused to get involved.
But Sir Keir insisted: ‘It’s my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I’ve done and I stand by it.’
Sir Keir is bracing for a battering from his own left-wing MPs after conducting a partial U-turn last night, agreeing that American forces can use British bases for ‘defensive’ actions against Iranian retaliation.
As he tries to quell the backlash, the PM told the Commons: ‘The use of British bases is limited to the agreed defensive purposes… We are not joining the US-Israeli strikes.’
Kemi Badenoch has accused the premier of being ‘scared’ of large blocs of voters whose ‘loyalties are swayed by conflicts in the Middle East’.
Earlier, Mr Trump said he was ‘very disappointed’ with the Labour leader – complaining he ‘took far too long’ to change his mind and permit the strikes.
Amid fears over a major blow to the Special Relationship, Mr Trump suggested the initial refusal was unprecedented.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth went further in swiping at the UK’s stance as he hailed Israel as a ‘capable’ partner.
‘Unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, humming and hawing about the use of force,’ he added.
The PM announced last night that American forces would be permitted to operate from UK bases for ‘defensive’ purposes, after the Tehran regime rained down drones and missiles on a host of nearby states.
Downing Street insisted the move is not a U-turn, despite the premier initially refusing to participate in the joint strikes with Israel – or even say whether the UK backed them. In contrast both Australia and Canada have been supportive, sparking fury that Sir Keir was sitting on the fence to avoid riling his own backbenchers.
Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Why is it that under this PM international law always seems to be at odds with our national interest… we in this House are elected to stand up for Britain’s national interest.’
Mr Trump told the Telegraph: ‘That’s probably never happened between our countries before. It sounds like he was worried about the legality.’
He added: ‘All of a sudden [Mauritius] was claiming ownership. He should have fought it out and owned it or make him take it, if you want to know the truth. But no, we were very disappointed in Keir.’
Kemi Badenoch raged that Sir Keir had only acted when he had no choice, and pointed out ministers are still refused to back the military steps explicitly.
But while the shift has been welcomed by some Labour MPs, others are livid at the assistance being provided to the US operations. The Lib Dems and Greens are pushing for a Commons vote on the decision.
The political difficulties are compounded for Sir Keir after Labour’s humiliating defeat by the hard-Left Greens in last week’s Gorton & Denton by-election.
Sir Keir – who did not take questions last night – is expected to make a statement to Parliament later.
At a press conference in Westminster today, Nigel Farage said the PM’s dithering stance had been ‘frankly pathetic’.
‘I think to say to the Americans that they could not use UK bases or Diego Garcia to carry out any of their missions is something that the president has responded to by saying already that he’s deeply disappointed. I suspect that, for once from Trump, is actually a mild understatement,’ the Reform leader said.
‘And I do believe that Starmer’s actions don’t just threaten the special relationship, but probably he has posed or did pose a major threat to Nato.’
Touring broadcast studios for the government this morning, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was ‘not in the UK’s interests’ to support the US attack on Iran over the weekend.
She told Times Radio: ‘I think our guiding issue has been about UK interests and about what we think is the right way forward.
‘And our assessment was that it was not in the UK’s interests to provide support for the action that took place over the weekend.
‘But it is in UK interests and it is the right thing to do – given how many British citizens that we have in the region – to support this defensive action now.’
Hostilities in the Middle East are entering their third day, having already resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Shortly after Sir Keir’s announcement last night the UK base on Cyprus was targeted, although nobody was hurt.
Israel has launched strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, overnight after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border.
The Israeli military confirmed it intercepted a missile and reported no injuries, later urging residents in 50 Lebanese villages to evacuate ahead of possible retaliatory action.
More than 300,000 British nationals, including military personnel, are thought to be at risk in the Gulf as the Tehran regime launches further missiles at its neighbours.
In a recorded statement last night, the PM said he had agreed to a US request to use British bases to protect UK nationals and allies in the region, accusing Iran of pursuing a ‘scorched earth strategy’.
Sir Keir said British forces would not be directly involved in the strikes, and the bases would only be used for the ‘specific and limited defensive purpose’ of targeting missile storage depots and launchers being used to attack Iran’s neighbours.
He said: ‘We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.’
It is not clear which bases will be used, but Donald Trump has previously referred to asking to use Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Reports have also suggested the US could use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which can handle American heavy bombers.
Mark Carney, prime minister of Canada, said he supported ‘the US action’ to ‘prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon’ and continuing to threaten ‘international peace and security’.
And Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese used similar language, while Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, also supported the action.
Meanwhile the UK, in a joint statement with France and Germany, condemned Iran’s retaliation and urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table, but did not openly back the strikes.
Tory leader Mrs Badenoch said that she stood with the US and Israel as they ‘take on the threat’ of Iran.
She added today: ‘We knew on Saturday that our allies in Canada and Australia had backed the action taken by the United States and Israel.
‘Yet Keir Starmer still couldn’t tell the British people where our country stood or whether the UK would allow the use of our own airbases. It took Iranian missiles hitting allies in the Middle East and a UK base in Cyprus before Starmer finally approved the use of our bases, and this morning the Foreign Secretary still can’t say if the Labour government supports the action against Iran.
‘Iran’s regime has funded international terrorism, attacked British nationals, brutally repressed its own citizens calling for freedom, and continues to try and develop a nuclear weapon. It should not be beyond our government to say they welcome the US-Israel taking action.
‘But, particularly in the wake of the by-election last week, the Labour government are too scared to say what is obvious to the rest of us. In towns and cities across Britain there are large blocs of voters – that Labour see as their voters – whose political loyalties are swayed by conflicts in the Middle East, not the British national interest.
‘So we watch our Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers squirm and obfuscate in interviews, because they cannot say what needs to be said because too many of their voters do not want to hear it.’
Sir Keir’s initial refusal to allow the US to use UK military bases reportedly came after a legal opinion – drafted by Attorney General Lord Hermer – emphasised the primacy of international law.
But shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson has dismissed the reluctance as ‘weak and wrong’, suggesting that Canada and Australia have better lawyers.
The peer and KC said: ‘Is this now UK policy: If Iran fires missiles at Dubai or Oman, UK forces intervene. But not if the missile is aimed at a US ship or Tel Aviv?
‘If so, in the conflict between US and Iran, this approach makes the UK a bystander. Still weak and still wrong.’
