Starmer betraying national interest in legal point scoring

OUR prevaricating Prime Minister has once again leaned into international law and infuriated our closest ally.

- Tim Newark

An F-35B from RAF Fairford, Glos. US jets can now strike Iran from the air base

Over the weekend, as the US and Israel attacked Iran, Keir Starmer and his lawyer buddy, Attorney General Lord Hermer, decided against supporting the aerial campaign or allowing UK bases to be used by American assets.

Once metal started flying in the opposite direction, however - targeting British military facilities and expats in the Gulf, as well as our allies across the region - the PM soon changed tack, confirming on Monday that our bases could now be utilised by the US for strikes against Iranian missile sites.

Sir Keir's tortuous explanation, that “defensive operations” targeting the Iranian missile sites threatening us could be allowed, came over as weasel words.

In fact, the whole tenor of the PM's statement to Parliament appeared aimed at placating his left-wing backbenchers by referencing previous attempts at regime change especially Tony Blair's ill-fated Iraq campaign - rather than doing what was best for the UK. And whatever the PM's backbenchers think, his latest U-turn may be another case of too little, too late to soothe Donald Trump. This week the US President complained that Starmer took “far too long” to change his mind.