Keir Starmer Urged To Tell King To Cancel Trip To America Over Iran War Row

Posted on 08/03/2026 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer has been urged to tell King Charles he should cancel his planned trip to America next month over the row between Washington and London over the Iran war.

The monarch is due to cross the Atlantic next month as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from Britain.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said “it’s clear this visit should not go ahead” as relations between the president and prime minister are in the deep freeze over the crisis in the Middle East.

Trump is furious at Starmer for initially refusing his request for American jets to use UK bases to launch attacks on Iran.

The PM relented after the Iranians began bombing other Middle East countries, potentially putting 300,000 British citizens at risk.

Britain is now sending a warship and an aircraft carrier as it beefs up its military presence in the region.

But in his fiercest attack on Starmer on Saturday night, Trump said: “We will remember. We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won.”

Davey said: “Keir Starmer should advise the King that the state visit to the US scheduled for April should be called off.

“At a time when Trump has launched an illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up energy bills for British families, it’s clear this visit should not go ahead.

“A state visit from our King would be seen as yet another huge diplomatic coup for President Trump, so it should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country.”

His comments came after Starmer and Trump spoke on the phone for the first time since the row between the pair erupted.

A Downing Street readout of their conversation said: “The 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.

“The 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.”

Donald Trump Launches His Fiercest Attack Yet On Keir Starmer Over UK Response To Iran War

Posted on 07/03/2026 by Boris Clair

The US president described Britain as “our once great ally” as he told the prime minister that America doesn’t need the two Royal Navy aircraft carriers due to be sent to the Gulf.

He added: “We will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won.”

Trump’s comments, in a post on Truth Social, are another shattering blow to the so-called “special relationship” between Britain and America.

The president said: “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

Trump has been furious with Starmer ever since he turned down his initial request for US jets to use British bases to launch bombing raids alongside the Israelis in Iran.

Starmer changed his mind las Sunday after Iran began bombing countries across the Gulf region, putting up to 300,000 British lives at risk.

Why War In Iran Is The Last Thing Starmer Needs As Voters Prepare To Seal His Fate

Posted on 06/03/2026 by Boris Clair

Towards the end of the third and final part of Channel 4′s ‘The Tony Blair Story’, the former prime minister once again defends his decision to take the UK to war in Iraq.

“I can’t think of another British prime minister who also wouldn’t have wanted to be with America post-9/11,” he says.

Given the events of the past week, it is worth considering whether Blair has now revised that view.

Keir Starmer, the first Labour leader to win a general election since Blair did it for a third time in 2005, decided he did not want to “be with America” when Donald Trump sought permission to use British bases to launch missiles at Iran.

The prime minister doubts the legality of the military action, and is unconvinced that the US president has any plan at all for what comes next.

Starmer only relented when Iran began attacking other countries in the region, putting 300,000 British lives at risk.

And even then, the PM made clear that the US can only use British bases to carry out “defensive” operations targeting weapons storage facilities and missile launch sites.

In comments which could have been specifically chosen to anger Tony Blair, Starmer said: “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons.

“We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now.”

Trump – who Starmer had been relatively successful in wooing since he returned to the White House – has made clear to any journalist who will listen how furious he is at the PM’s approach.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” the president mockingly told reporters in the Oval Office.

A group of men inspects the ruins of a police station struck Monday amid the US–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Starmer may feel reassured by a YouGov poll published on Thursday which showed that just 8% of the country believe the UK should be “actively joining the US and Israel” in bombing Iran.

Just under half – 46% – say Britain should restrict itself to shooting down drones, defending civilian areas and UK military facilities, which is in line with the government’s own approach.

Around a quarter – 26% – say the UK response should be “retaliatory only, attacking military targets that have launched attacks against civilian areas and/or British military targets”.

However, when asked how the PM is handling the crisis, 47% say badly, with just 34% saying well.

The same poll found that 52% of voters think Starmer is handling his relationship with Trump badly, with just 32% supporting his approach.

Predictably, Starmer has been attacked by the Greens for getting involved in the war at all, and by Reform and the Tories for not being more supportive of Trump.

“I think Keir is where the country is at the moment, which is not where the right wing press are”

– Senior member of the cabinet

A senior Labour source told HuffPost UK: “There are three competing choices in front of the British public currently.

“The Greens, who are making the case that our government should sit on our hands and do nothing to protect ourselves, even while 300,000 UK nationals and our allies are under threat.

“Reform and the Tories, who are essentially arguing we should sub-contract our foreign policy to, at best, an ill-defined and escalating war.

“Or this Labour government, who are clear that we’re defending British nationals and interests as part of our collective self defence.”

A minister, not normally one of the PM’s biggest fans, said Starmer’s handling of the war so far had been “measured, responsible and rooted in the national interest”.

By comparison, the minister said, the more gung-ho Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage have “lost the plot”.

Another normally-critical Labour MP said: “To be fair to the prime minister, he’s handled it pretty well. But he’s at the mercy of events.”

According to The Spectator, the PM is also at the mercy of his own cabinet.

While he and defence secretary John Healey wanted to let America use British bases at the outset of the war, he was effectively blocked by Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper, Shabana Mahmood and, most vociferously, Ed Miliband.

A senior member of the cabinet told HuffPost UK that the unpredictability of war means that the PM is not in control of his own destiny.

“I think Keir is where the country is at the moment, which is not where the right wing press are,” he said.

“Things could change very quickly, of course, if British citizens start getting killed.”

Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollsters Savanta UK, said the PM is unlikely to enjoy any war bounce in his subterranean approval ratings, regardless of Trump’s own unpopularity with the British public.

He said: “Unfortunately for Keir Starmer, the public are far more likely to simply agree with Donald Trump’s assessment of the prime minister than sympathise with him.

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and I think the public are more likely to feel Trump has given an accurate assessment than leap to the Labour leader’s defence.”

Luke Tryl, director of the More in Common think-tank, said the PM’s popularity may marginally improve, but any boost will be short-lived.

“My hunch is he gets a small but not sustained ‘rally round’ bump, which helps him consolidate on the left,” he said. “I’d be most watching his approval with Lib Dems, which I suspect goes up most.”

Starmer admitted on Thursday that the war “could continue for some time”, an unwelcome distraction for a PM whose fate will more than likely be decided by the outcome of crucial elections across the UK in just two months’ time.

The PM’s determination to provide “calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest” will cut little ice with voters who appear determined to punish Labour for their multiple failures since taking office in 2024.

Few are likely to disagree with Trump’s assessment that Starmer is no Churchill.

But it is the prime minister’s failure to emulate the election-winning genius of Tony Blair which will ultimately seal his fate.

Trump Mocks Starmer Over UK’s Response To Iran Bombing: ‘He’s Not Winston Churchill’

Posted on 03/03/2026 by Boris Clair

Donald Trump has mocked Keir Starmer over the UK’s response to the US-Israeli bombing of Iran.

The American president said “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with” after Starmer initially refused to let the US use British bases to launch their attacks amid concerns the strikes broke international law.

The PM eventually changed his mind after Iran began bombing countries across the Middle East, putting British lives at risk.

Trump’s Oval Office comments mark a new low in the so-called “special relationship” between America and the United Kingdom.

Referring to the UK military base at Diego Garcia, he said: “That island… It’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land there, it would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="1850" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","isLiveblogEmbed":false,"index":8,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy

\"The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law\" pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) March 3, 2026

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Politics UK","author_url":"https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK","cache_age":86400,"description":"🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy\"The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law\" pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) March 3, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":748,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2028884728707784705/img/H1OSX0qO-hlJHATH.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1342,"title":"Politics UK on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2028886641323229651","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a72183e4b0c9c664ad3743","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-mocks-keir-starmer-in-row-over-us-strikes-on-iran-hes-not-winston-churchill_uk_69a72183e4b0c9c664ad3743","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,keir-starmer,iran,breaking,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a72183e4b0c9c664ad3743","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"news/donald-trump","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump"},"section":{"title":"News","slug":"news"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/donald-trump/"},{"name":"keir starmer","slug":"keir-starmer","links":{"relativeLink":"news/keir-starmer","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"},{"name":"breaking","slug":"breaking","links":{"relativeLink":"news/breaking","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/breaking","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/breaking"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/breaking/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fdonald-trump-mocks-keir-starmer-in-row-over-us-strikes-on-iran-hes-not-winston-churchill_uk_69a72183e4b0c9c664ad3743%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0,"midArticleAdPartner":null},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

🚨 WATCH: Donald Trump again attacks Keir Starmer and the UK’s immigration policy

“The UK has been very, very uncooperative… they are ruining relationships, it’s a shame… windmills are ruining their country… you have Sharia courts adjudicating law” pic.twitter.com/YctAFJde2Z

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) March 3, 2026

Trump’s comments are just latest criticism he has aimed at Starmer since America and Israel’s attacks on Iran began at the weekend.

In an interview with the Telegraph on Monday, the president said he was “very disappointed” in the PM.

That prompted Starmer to hit back in the Commons, telling MPs: “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes.

“But it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I’ve done, and I stand by it.”

In another dig at the US president, Starmer said: “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”

Trump responded in an interview with The Sun in which he said the PM “has not been helpful”.

“I never thought I’d see that,” he said. “I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK.”

He added: “It’s not going to matter, but [Starmer] should have helped… he should have.

“I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great. The UK has been much different from others.”

Trump continued: “You’ve seen the secretary general of NATO, the great things he said, Mark Rutte, he’s great.

“No, they’ve all been pretty much great other than…we think Keir’s was just very different.”

The president said the spat over Iran meant “it’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before”.

Keir Starmer Gives United States Permission To Use UK Bases To Strike Iran

Posted on 01/03/2026 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer has given the United States permission to use UK military bases to attack targets in Iran.

The prime minister said he was “protecting British interests and British lives” after Iran launched missile attacks on countries across the Middle East.

That came after the US and Israel bombed Iran in a wave of strikes which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei as well as other senior regime officials.

In a statement from Downing Street, Starmer insisted the UK was not involved in the initial attacks on Iran – and that its actions did not break international law.

He said: “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq. And we have learned those lessons.

“We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now.

“But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy. So we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region, because that is our duty to the British people.

“It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.

“This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.”

It is understood the US will use British bases at RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia to carry out their strikes.

Starmer said there are around 200,000 British citizens in the Gulf region, and that Iran’s actions were putting their lives at risk.

“Over the last two days, Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them,” he said.

“They have hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. This is clearly a dangerous situation.”

Iran also hit a military base in Bahrain on Saturday, “narrowly missing British personnel”, the PM said.

British jets are already taking part in “defensive” operations in the region, Starmer said.

But he said the only way to stop the Iranian attacks was to target storage depots and the launchers use to fire missiles.

The PM said: “The US has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.

“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.

“The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives. This is in line with international law.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised Starmer’s decision.

Posting on X, he said: “It took just one phone call from Donald Trump for Starmer to jump into yet another Middle East illegal war, failing to learn the lessons of the tragedies of Iraq, Libya and Syria.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="3573" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","isLiveblogEmbed":false,"index":27,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

It took just one phone call from Donald Trump for Starmer to jump into yet another Middle East illegal war, failing to learn the lessons of the tragedies of Iraq, Libya and Syria. https://t.co/IhCUF9XJ3m

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 1, 2026

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Zack Polanski","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski","cache_age":86400,"description":"It took just one phone call from Donald Trump for Starmer to jump into yet another Middle East illegal war, failing to learn the lessons of the tragedies of Iraq, Libya and Syria. https://t.co/IhCUF9XJ3m— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 1, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Zack Polanski on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski/status/2028227790017884410","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69a4ae48e4b033a04534fff5","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/keir-starmer-gives-us-permission-to-use-uk-bases-to-strike-iranian-targets_uk_69a4ae48e4b033a04534fff5","entryTagsList":"keir-starmer,iran,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69a4ae48e4b033a04534fff5","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"keir starmer","slug":"keir-starmer","links":{"relativeLink":"news/keir-starmer","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fkeir-starmer-gives-us-permission-to-use-uk-bases-to-strike-iranian-targets_uk_69a4ae48e4b033a04534fff5%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

It took just one phone call from Donald Trump for Starmer to jump into yet another Middle East illegal war, failing to learn the lessons of the tragedies of Iraq, Libya and Syria. https://t.co/IhCUF9XJ3m

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 1, 2026

Why Labour MPs Want Keir Starmer Out Before It Is Too Late: ‘He’s Burying The Party’

Posted on 27/02/2026 by Boris Clair

“It feels like an out of body experience, watching your party dying in slow motion,” the Labour MP told HuffPost UK.

He was speaking shortly after it was confirmed that Labour had come third in the Gorton and Denton by-election, a seat which the party won by nearly 13,500 votes barely 18 months ago.

To make matters worse, the Green Party came first, followed by Reform UK, an outcome polling expert Sir John Curtice described as “the worst possible result for the prime minister”.

“Can’t wait to hear how this is someone else’s fault,” said one MP. “If they try and blame the local operation or MPs, I’ll lose any respect I have for them.

“Polling day was incredibly well-run, but you can’t have a practical response to a crisis of leadership.”

Labour spent the past month insisting that only they could beat Reform, only for voters in the Manchester constituency to deliver an almighty raspberry to the PM.

If most Labour MPs hadn’t already decided that Starmer’s removal from office was a necessary first step for the party’s recovery, they certainly do now.

“He’s burying the Labour Party,” said one backbencher, succinctly.

Another senior figure told HuffPost UK: “Keir needs to be removed. The party has to act.”

Neil Duncan-Jordan told Times Radio: “If Keir Starmer is seen as a block when you go out and knock on doors – if people say to you, they’ll vote Labour, but they won’t vote Labour if he’s the leader – then he’s the block to us winning. And from a purely pragmatic, electoral strategic view, you have to remove that block

“Now, I’m not saying you do that this morning. I’m saying that we need to be serious about winning again. And, if there’s a block to winning again, then we need to look at how we remove that block.”

Fellow left-winger Clive Lewis said Starmer was “an interim prime minister”.

“How long that interim is will be up to the Parliamentary Labour Party,” he said. “He will not be here for very long, he does not deserve to be here much longer.”

Lewis, who said replacing Starmer with Blairite health secretary Wes Streeting would be “more of the same”, added: “We need a radical reset, fundamental change, or we will have a Reform government.

“And I’m afraid my colleagues and the rest of the party need to understand that.”

Even Angela Rayner, who has tended to keep her counsel since resigning as deputy prime minister last year, went public with a plea for Starmer to change course.

“This result must be a wake up call,” she said in a post on X. “It’s time to really listen – and to reflect. Voters want the change that we promised – and they voted for.

“If we want to unrig the system, if we want to make the change we were sent into Government to make, we have to be braver.”

Green Party candidate and winner Hannah Spencer celebrates at an election rally with supporters.

The PM himself appeared deaf to the concerns of his colleagues, insisting that he will not change course and even suggesting that voters had been duped into backing the Greens.

In a letter to his fractious MPs, he said: “The Greens were able to capitalise on an endorsement from George Galloway to win over enough voters to push them over the line.

“Their willingness to welcome Galloway’s divisive, sectarian politics is a sign that the Greens are not the harmless environmentalists they pretend to be.”

“He looks ridiculous and totally disconnected,” said a Labour MP in response.

A Green source said: “Starmer is clearly coming to the end of his premiership, one that he has barely been clinging to. He has learnt nothing from the Greens’ stunning victory and once again he is tone deaf.

“His only answer now is to smear the voters as extremists who wanted the hope and change that he is failing to offer. It is not the election result or voters who are disappointing, it is his Labour government that is beyond disappointing.”

Starmer’s decision to block popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing to be Labour’s candidate also came in for criticism, but one party insider defended that decision.

He said: “Does anyone really believe Andy wouldn’t have invented his own foreign policy for the campaign, particularly after a week of knocking doors?

“That would have been the start of a leadership campaign before even being elected, which vindicates Keir’s decision even more.”

Another MP who was regularly on the doors in the constituency insisted the Burnham issue “was not mentioned once” by local voters.

The MP added: “We shouldn’t read much into the result. Lots of voters who would back us in a general election wanted to send a message to the party by voting Green.”

That view was echoed by Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollsters Savanta, who said “we need to be careful not to jump to too many conclusions, and I’d encourage Labour MPs not to overreact to this”.

He added: “Yes, it’s bad, but nothing that played out last night should come as a huge surprise, given the national polling and unpopularity of the government.

“While the temptation to act and publicly criticise Starmer having seen it play out for real at a by-election must be strong, this does need to not be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of Starmer’s leadership of the party.

“Starmer must try to remain steadfast to his cause and maintain party discipline. He’s got to convince his own MPs that what happened last night is not an existential crisis, is not indicative of what could happen in their own seat at the next election and is just a by-election.

“Yes, the result is bad on paper but doesn’t really affect Labour’s parliamentary dominance, and could well be completely forgotten about in a few years time.”

Nevertheless, Hopkins conceded that Starmer will be in an “incredibly weak” position if May’s elections in Scotland, Wales and England are as bad as Labour MPs fear.

“His security is more down to the lack of an obviously challenger, especially while Burnham remains outside parliament, and I guess in that respect Starmer’s decision to block him running is probably remains the right one.

“Losing one by-election but keeping your closest rival on the outside looking in is probably an acceptable outcome.”

Unfortunately for Starmer, very few Labour MPs are as sanguine about the result as Hopkins.

The PM will limp on until May, largely because there is no time to replace him before then.

But a set of results even remotely as cataclysmic as Gorton and Denton will surely bring the curtain down on his ill-starred time in No.10.

Labour Dubbed A ‘Zombie Government’ After Starmer Commits To Yet Another U-Turn

Posted on 16/02/2026 by Boris Clair

The government is facing fresh backlash after U-turning on their plans to postpone elections for 30 local authorities.

Labour originally offered 63 councils the chance to delay their May local elections amid wider plans to re-organise local governments.

Ministers said 30 agreed to delay, pointing to the cost of holding elections during the council rejig.

But critics claimed the government’s move was motivated by a fear of losing those local elections, which Labour denied.

However, local government secretary Steve Reed has now decided to “withdraw his decision” to postpone the elections “in the light of legal advice”.

The reverse-ferret came as Reform UK prepared to take the government to court, so Nigel Farage is heralding it as a victory.

The government is now looking to “agree an order” with Reform to end the case and has promised to “pay the claimant’s costs of these proceedings’.

A total of 136 local authority areas across England will now hold elections in the spring – along with elections to the Welsh Senedd and the Scottish Parliament.

The government will be offering £63 million in new funding to help with the reorganising.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May.

“Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026.”

Farage told Sky News that the U-turn was “extraordinary”, claiming: “We were due [in court] this Thursday. They’ve caved, they’ve collapsed. It’s a victory for Reform.

“But more importantly, it’s a victory for democracy in this country.”

The MP for Clacton then called Reed’s future in the government into question.

He said: “What I do think now is the minister, Steve Reed, has clearly acted illegally. And given that the government has now given in, knew they’d lose to us in court, I think Steve Reed’s question as a minister should now be debated.”

Meanwhile, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This is a zombie government. U-turn, after U-turn, after U-turn.

“No plan or programme to deliver anything. Even the simple stuff that should be business as usual gets messed up.

“And we’ve got three more years of this, because Labour MPs don’t want an early election – they know they will lose their seats.”

She also claimed Reed has “very serious questions to answer on whether political considerations were behind his decision”.

“He must come clean or we will use every means at our disposal to get to the truth,” she said.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “The Liberal Democrats have fought tooth and nail to stop this stitch-up and the government has been forced into a humiliating U-turn.

“Labour are terrified of Reform and we are the only party willing to stand up to Farage and beat him, as we do week after week in council by-elections.”

He also called on Starmer to support his party’s plans to stop governments from being allowed to “cancel elections on a whim ever again”.

Labour MP Florence Eshalomi – Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee – said: “I welcome this development.

“As I argued previously, democracy is not an inefficiency that should be cut out during local government reorganisation process.”

She added: “Councils should not have been put in the position of choosing between frontline services or elections.

“I welcome the indication that the government will provide additional resources to ensure that local council elections can take place and look forward to seeing more detail on this.”

Councilor Richard Wright, Chair of the District Councils’ Network, said: “Council officers, councillors and local electorates will be bewildered by the unrelenting changes to the electoral timetable.

“Councils were assured by the government that elections could be legally cancelled but now it seems ministers have come to the opposite conclusion.

“It’s the government, not councils that have acted in good faith, which should bear responsibility for this mess which impacts on people’s faith in our cherished local democracy.”

He added: “We need to have faith in the government’s decision-making as we work on the biggest shake-up of councils in 50 years – but the government is doing little assure us that it has a strong grasp of the huge legal complexity involved.”

‘No Platform Gets A Free Pass’: Government Plans New Crackdown On AI Chatbots And Social Media

Posted on 15/02/2026 by Boris Clair

The government is set to announce new plans to crack down on online platforms in a bid to keep children safe.

Shortly after Labour successfully pushed X to limit AI bot Grok’s powers to post non-consensual, intimate images of people, prime minister Keir Starmer on Monday will unveil his strategy to help younger generations navigate the internet.

The government plans to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act, or risk breaking the law, with an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.

Ministers will also be able to implement changes to legislation on social media quickly with new powers in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, if supported by MPs.

That could include setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling.

Any such changes to the law will be based on the outcomes in the government’s digital wellbeing consultation, which will launch in March, with parents, young people and civil society groups.

Ministers will consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving nude images, and confront the full range of risks they might face online.

The government will also look at how to preserve vital data online if linked to a child’s death.

Starmer pledged: “Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.

“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.

“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.

“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”

Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.

“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.”

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the “You Won’t Know Until You Ask” campaign, too.

This will offer practical guidance on safety settings and conversation prompts to use with children to discuss the subject matter.

Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the announcement as “more smoke and mirrors from a government that has chosen inaction when it comes to stopping under-16s accessing social media”.

“Claiming they are taking ‘immediate action’ is simply not credible when their so-called urgent consultation does not even exist,” Trott said.

“Labour have repeatedly said they do not have a view on whether under-16s should be prevented from accessing social media. That is not good enough. I am clear that we should stop under-16s accessing these platforms.

“The evidence of harm is clear and parents, teachers and children themselves have made their voices heard. Britain is lagging behind while other countries have recognised the risks and begun to act.”

She added: “Dressing this up as progress while refusing to grasp the central issue risks becoming a Trojan horse for further delay.”

The Lib Dems’ spokesperson for education Munira Wilson said this was proof the government was still “kicking the can down the road”.

She said: “There is no time to waste, but the government continues to kick the can down the road. We need a much clearer, firm timeline for when they will take action.

“Parliament deserves a real say and the chance to properly scrutinise the Government’s plans. Instead, the prime minister is desperate to buy himself time with his MPs with an approach that will limit oversight now and in the future.

“Time for a concrete plan by working with us on future-proof protections.”

Keir Starmer’s Top Civil Servant Quits Barely A Year After Being Appointed

Posted on 12/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer has lost his top civil servant barely a year after appointing him.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald agreed “by mutual consent” with the prime minister to stand down.

The prime minister hailed Chris Wormald’s “exceptional” leadership when he was announced as cabinet secretary in December, 2024.

However, it is understoof the PM has been unhappy with his performance and now he has gone just 14 months later.

In a statement, Wormald said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the service as Cabinet Secretary.

“I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers, and advisers I have worked with. Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.”

The PM said: “I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year.

“I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today. I wish him the very best for the future.”

He is the third senior official to leave No.10 in the past week, after chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned on Sunday and communications director Tim Allan quit on Monday.

Wormald’s departure raises fresh questions about Starmer’s judgment following his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

The disgraced former Labour peer was sacked seven months later over his connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson is now facing a criminal investigation over allegations he passed market sensitive information to the billionaire financier when he was business secretary in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.

Starmer sang Wormald’s praises when he first appointed him just over a year ago, saying: “Delivering this scale of change will require exceptional civil service leadership.

“There could be no-one better placed to drive forward our Plan for Change than Chris, and I look forward to working with him as we fulfil the mandate of this new government, improving the lives of working people and strengthening our country with a decade of national renewal.”

Speculation that Starmer himself could step down reached fever pitch on Monday after Scottish leader Anas Sarwar urged him to quit, but the prime minister told Labour MPs he was “not prepared to walk away”.

“I have had my detractors every step along the way, and I’ve got them now. Detractors that don’t want a Labour government at all, and certainly not one to succeed,” Starmer said at a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.

“But I’ll tell you this, after having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I’m not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or to plunge us into chaos, as others have done.”

WellnessMaster

Get The Latest News on Holistic Wellness

Category Archives: keir starmer