Senior Labour MPs are urging Sir Keir Starmer to \u201chold his nerve\u201d and \u201cstick to what we believe is right\u201d in the face of another furious rant by Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The US president launched another broadside at the prime minister overnight, writing on Truth Social that the US does not need anyone to \u201cjoin wars after we\u2019ve already won\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sir Tony Blair also weighed into the debate, arguing that Sir Keir had made a mistake by not joining in the war on Iran from the outset.<\/p>\n
In a row that has been brewing for over a week, Labour MPs called on the PM to stick to his policy of defensive action.<\/p>\n
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper warned that Labour \u201cneeds to learn the lessons of Iraq\u201d in a put-down to Sir Tony.<\/p>\n
The foreign secretary defended the prime minister after both Donald Trump and Tony Blair criticised Keir Starmer\u2019s approach (Jeff Overs\/BBC\/PA Wire)She was reflecting the continued anger over the way the former prime minister led Britain into that disastrous Middle East war in 2003, and is now criticising Sir Keir.<\/p>\n
However, figures connected to the Trump administration are now warning that the ill feeling over the UK\u2019s refusal to get involved in direct attacks from Iran at the start will impact trade between the two countries, with the relationship between the two governments \u201ccompletely broken\u201d.<\/p>\n
It reflected claims by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage after a meeting with the US president last week, declaring: \u201cThe relationship between Starmer and Trump is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Mr Trump said the prime minister was \u201cno Churchill\u201d, adding that he had \u201cruined relationships\u201d over Iran and the Chagos Islands deal.<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Dame Emily Thornberry, urged Sir Keir to \u201chold his nerve\u201d.<\/p>\n
Reflecting the mood of the parliamentary party, she said: \u201cIt will blow over. We have to stick to what we believe is right and in Britain’s interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Andrew Hale, a leading trade expert at the Advancing American Freedom think tank who provides advice to the Trump administration, warned that the row will prompt the president to look again at his tariff regime.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cMany people I speak to in the US federal government no longer see the UK as a reliable ally and recognise that the UK is suffering from system failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
A source in the administration also warned that the initial refusal to allow the US to use RAF bases \u201cwill be a betrayal that will never be forgotten or forgiven\u201d.<\/p>\n
However, another source close to the administration privately expressed sympathy for Sir Keir\u2019s position to The Independent, reflecting divisions on the right of US politics over the relationship with Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump didn\u2019t share any plans or intel with the UK but wants to use their assets without notice and cries when they won\u2019t join their Israel-led war? If we don\u2019t need the UK, why\u2019s he crying about it on Truth Social?\u201d<\/p>\n
Downing Street confirmed the leaders spoke on Sunday afternoon, over a week since their last confirmed call.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region,\u201d a readout of the call said.<\/p>\n
According to the Daily Mail, the former Labour prime minister said at an event on Friday that Britain \u2018should have backed America from the very beginning\u2019 (PA)\u201cThe prime minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers. They looked forward to speaking again soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
The row has seen an intervention from Sir Tony, who believes the UK should have joined the US and Israel in taking down the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n
According to the Daily Mail, the former Labour prime minister, who supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, said at an event on Friday that Britain \u201cshould have backed America from the very beginning\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Cooper told Sky News: \u201cThere are some people in politics who think that we should always agree with the US.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are other people in politics who think we should never take action with the US again, whatever the circumstances. I don\u2019t think either of those positions is in the UK\u2019s national interest, and it is the responsibility [of] Keir Starmer to act in the UK\u2019s national interest for British citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if she was calling Sir Tony \u201ca poodle\u201d, she said: \u201cI think the point is to make sure that, actually, we learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq, and I think that is exactly what Keir Starmer has done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tory former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt said that attacks on Sir Tony and claims by Labour that her party leader had insulted the RAF by suggesting they were \u201changing around\u201d were a distraction from a government which has failed to keep its word on increasing defence spending.<\/p>\n
She told the BBC\u2019s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: \u201cNo 10 will brief against Kemi Badenoch, defence chiefs, Tony Blair and anyone else they can think of. Anything to distract from the only thing that matters: we must spend and deliver more for our armed forces. When will we wake up? What level of tragedy will it take?\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ms Badenoch continued her attack on what she claims is Sir Keir\u2019s inaction.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWhat we need is a government that is very clear about our defence and our national interest. Labour are political pygmies playing student union politics. Britain should lead, defend our interests, and stand strong. Keir Starmer doesn\u2019t have the backbone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The US administration has rejected suggestions that the current war with Iran could lead to similar devastation caused by the Iraq conflict.<\/p>\n
Britain did not join the initial strikes on Iran, but has since allowed US forces to use British bases to strike in a defensive capacity (AP)US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth told reporters this week: \u201cThis is not Iraq, this is not endless.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britain did not join the initial strikes on Iran, but has since allowed US forces to use British bases to strike in a defensive capacity.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir has repeatedly said he stands by his decision, and told parliament on Monday that his government \u201cdoes not believe in regime change from the skies\u201d, in an apparent criticism of the US president\u2019s bombing campaign.<\/p>\n
Ms Cooper also backed the prime minister\u2019s dealings with Mr Trump on Sunday, saying that the UK government\u2019s job is not to be \u201coutsourcing our foreign policy\u201d after the renewed criticism.<\/p>\n
She said the prime minister would not turn to \u201crhetoric or hyperbole\u201d and would focus on \u201ccalm, steady decision-making\u201d, saying people need to \u201cfocus on the substance and not social media posts\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Senior Labour MPs are urging Sir Keir Starmer to \u201chold his nerve\u201d and \u201cstick to what we believe is right\u201d in the face of another furious rant by Donald Trump. The US president launched another broadside at the prime minister overnight, writing on Truth Social that the US does not need anyone to \u201cjoin wars […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n