Keir Starmer said that he won’t drag the UK into a war with no lawful basis or plan
Kemi Badenoch sided with Donald Trump at PMQs today and urged for the UK to launch offensive action against Iran, despite saying nobody wants the conflict to escalate.
The Tory leader argued that since UK military bases in Cyprus and Bahrain have been attacked, the UK should follow in Trump’s footsteps and allow the RAF to carry out offensive action.
Keir Starmer said that “the whole country is worried about the potential for escalation” and said that the government must act with “a cool head”.
He added: “What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable thought-through plan. That remains my position.”
Badenoch said “nobody wants to see an escalation”, but then claimed “We are in this war whether we like it or not, what is the prime minister waiting for?”.
Starmer read out a list of actions that the UK government is taking to protect UK citizens, including providing weapons and helicopters.
Badenoch said: “The prime minister has read out a long list, it is not enough.”
The Tory leader then went on to say that yesterday the chancellor could have given more money to defence in her spring statement, but that the government pledged more money to welfare.
The government committed to increasing welfare spending to 5.8%, and 2.5% of GDP on defence.
“Their priorities are all wrong,” Badenoch said.
Starmer hit back, reminding her that after 14 years of Conservative rule, defence budgets were cut and army recruitment targets every year.
The Tory leader continued to attack the government’s decision to invest in the welfare budget, claiming “because they spent money on welfare, there is no defence investment plan”.
She added: “Because there is no defence plan, they are not ordering enough missiles.”
She said the government was “pathetic” for spending money on welfare instead of defence.
Starmer said he had spent all week protecting British lives in the Middle East, he added: “Moments like this define a leader of the opposition, they can either step up… or expose their utter irrelevance. She has chosen the second.”
Commenting on X, Labour MP Justin Madders said: “After that #PMQs we should all be grateful Kemi Badenoch is not the Prime Minister.”
Commentator Gerry Hassan wrote: “Kemi Badenoch does not seem to know how to do seriousness & depth even at a time of war.
“What we get is her “attack dog” style even as she ties herself to Trump’s America & its lack of any war plan. All lacking political judgement while clinging to Trump.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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