Some MPs have divided the internet after they were filmed dancing in parliament even as the crisis in the Middle East rages.
Parliamentarians, including the Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gathered in Portcullis House on Wednesday morning while Strictly Come Dancing stars Angela Rippon and Alex Kingston showed them some moves.
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The event was meant to promote how dancing can boost health and wellbeing, but others have slammed the gathering for being insensitive.
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Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have pulled the whole of the Middle East into disarray.
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The UK is currently weighing up how to defend its own military base in Cyprus following an Iranian drone attack.
Keir Starmer has already given the US permission to use its British bases to target Iran, too.
International affairs aside, MPs have also come under scrutiny this week after the independent expenses watchdog announced their basic salary will rise by 5% to £98,599 in April.
So people have, naturally, been questioning the timing of this dance lesson while clips of jubiliant MPs have been repeatedly on social media.
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The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle and Angela Rippon lead a dancing class in Parliament’s Portcullis House with MPs. So while global conflicts rage and the UK endures a cost of living crisis, it’s heartening to see our MPs having a dance. FFS.pic.twitter.com/V4Ze6Rm1cF
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The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle and Angela Rippon lead a dancing class in Parliament’s Portcullis House with MPs. So while global conflicts rage and the UK endures a cost of living crisis, it’s heartening to see our MPs having a dance. FFS.pic.twitter.com/V4Ze6Rm1cF
At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Bianco Zhivago","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Bianco_Zhivago","cache_age":86400,"description":"First. Optically, this looks bad. At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2— Bianco Zhivago (@Bianco_Zhivago) March 4, 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":"Bianco Zhivago on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Bianco_Zhivago/status/2029185634665951322","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":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","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":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"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%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2
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Entirely normal behaviour when the world is at war. My parents shared fond memories of the newsreel coverage of Chamberlain and Churchill jitterbugging in the Parliamentary dance class of 1940. https://t.co/3lPl3nYEg2
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Entirely normal behaviour when the world is at war. My parents shared fond memories of the newsreel coverage of Chamberlain and Churchill jitterbugging in the Parliamentary dance class of 1940. https://t.co/3lPl3nYEg2
Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF
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Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF
Some social media users said it was time to “lighten up” and suggested voters actually like seeing their politicians prove they know how to have fun on occasion.
I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up. It’s a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them … even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj
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I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up. It’s a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them … even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj
Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Luke Tryl","author_url":"https://twitter.com/LukeTryl","cache_age":86400,"description":"Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) March 4, 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":"Luke Tryl on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/LukeTryl/status/2029164841861095819","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":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","entryTagsList":"social-media,iran","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":"69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"news/social-media","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/social-media/"},{"name":"Iran","slug":"iran","links":{"relativeLink":"news/iran","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/iran"},"relegenceId":3686717,"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%2Fmps-split-social-media-by-dancing-in-parliament-with-strictly-stars_uk_69a84c35e4b0b7f2ce604ec1%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["
Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to – Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC
Meanwhile others took the chance to joke about U-turns…something Keir Starmer has become very famous for, having chalked up more than a dozen since being elected in July 2024…
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.
Advertisement
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.”
🚨 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
","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 / 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🚨 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
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.
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“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.
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“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”.
Rachel Reeves looked as though she was enjoying herself as she took aim at Labour’s political opponents while delivering her Spring Statement.
With no new policies to announce, the chancellor decided to use a decent chunk of her time at the despatch box attacking Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Green Party.
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“The Tories left our country, our people and our allies exposed: They had no plan and no intention to fund their pledge to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence,” she said.
“Reform would go one step further by ditching our allies and siding with Russia, while the Green Party wants to take us out of Nato and jeopardise our alliances.
“So let me be clear: It is Labour and only Labour that can provide social justice, national security and fiscal responsibility.”
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In another section, she dismissed Reform as “a Tory tribute act” following the defections of the likes of Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman.
“They may have changed the colour of their rosettes, but the British people won’t forget that they are the exact same people that wrecked our public services and wrecked our public finances in the last Tory government,” she said.
“The same people, the same policies and the same disastrous outcomes for working people.”
But behind the political knockabout, the chancellor must know that the fate of the UK economy – and perhaps even the Labour government – depends on the outcome of the latest war in the Middle East.
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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) may have forecast that inflation will come down, but that was before the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran sparked an energy crisis which has seen gas prices soar in the past 48 hours.
If that ends up feeding through into people’s bills, Labour will pay a huge political price.
The same goes for the OBR’s forecasts on economic growth, as well as government borrowing and national debt.
A prolonged conflict in the Middle East, and the accompanying economic turmoil which would ensue, would blow another huge hole in the already-stretched public finances.
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With unemployment set to be higher than expected this year and the tax burden set to hit another post-war high, yet more economic uncertainty is the last thing the chancellor needs.
“This government has the right economic plan for our country,” Reeves insisted.
“A plan that is even more important in a world that in the last few days has become yet more uncertain.
“With the unfolding conflict in Iran and the Middle East, it is incumbent on me and on this government to chart a course through that uncertainty, to secure our economy against shocks and protect families from the turbulence that we see beyond our borders.”
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She may have talked a good game, but the chancellor knows that events thousands of miles away have the potential to destroy her economic plans and plunge the government into political crisis they may not recover from.
Hegseth joined in with this condemnation during a press conference on Monday.
“Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful,” he said. “Capable partners are good partners.
“Unlike so many of traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.
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“America, regardless of what so called international institutions say, is unleashing the most lethal and precise air fire campaign in history.”
Starmer announced on Sunday night that the UK would allow the US to use British bases to target Iranian weapons storage depots and missile launch sites.
He said he was “protecting British interests and British lives” after Iran launched missile attacks on countries across the Middle East.
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Speaking in the Commons, the prime minister said: “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.”
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.
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.
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“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.
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“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.
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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.”
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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.”
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
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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
Israel said the attacks were “pre-emptive” to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and firing at them.
In his statement announcing the bombing, Trump said: “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”
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But Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s international affairs editor, dismissed those arguments.
He said: “Israel used the word ‘pre-emptive’ to justify its attack – the largest in the Israeli Air Force’s history, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
“The evidence is that this is not a response to an imminent threat, which the word pre-emption implies. Instead, it is a war of choice.”
The military action, Bowen said, was “another blow to the tottering system of international law”.
He added: “In their statements, both Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was a danger to their countries – Trump said it was a global danger.
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“The Islamic regime is certainly their bitter enemy. But it is hard to see how the legal justification of self-defence applies given the huge disparity of power between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.”
Bowen also warned that Trump’s stated objective of regime change in Iran will be far from straightforward – and could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East.
He said: “There is no precedent for regime change happening just because of air strikes.
“Even if this becomes the first case of air power alone collapsing a regime, the Islamic regime will not be replaced by a liberal democracy that upholds human rights. There is no credible alternative government in exile waiting in the wings.”
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The Middle East expert went on: “Iran’s remaining leaders will now be calculating how to ride out the war, how to survive and how to manage its consequences.
“Their neighbours, led by Saudi Arabia, will be dismayed by the huge uncertainty and potential consequences of today’s events.
“Given the capacity of the Middle East to export trouble, the eruption of renewed and intensified war deepens the instability of a region and wider world that is already turbulent, violent and dangerous.”
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.”
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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
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“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.
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“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.”
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Green Party candidate and winner Hannah Spencer celebrates at an election rally with supporters.
Ryan Jenkinson via Getty Images
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.
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“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.”
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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.”
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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”.
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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.
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“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.
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“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 is embroiled in a dirty tricks row over a campaign leaflet featuring a “fictitious” tactical voting company.
The offending literature has been put through voters’ doors on the eve of Thursday’s crunch Gorton and Denton by-election.
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It says: “The Tactical Choice says Vote Labour. Based on a new prediction made in the last 24 hours we are recommending voting Labour.”
However, no organisation called “Tactical Choice” appears to exist.
The leaflet says it is promoted on behalf of Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia.
Labour is locked in a three-way battle with the Green Party and Reform UK in the seat.
Bookies make the Greens odds-on favourites, followed by Reform and then Labour, for whom Andrew Gwynne won the seat at the 2024 general election with a majority of nearly 13,500.
The leaflet was sent “on behalf of” Labour candidate Angeliki Stogia.
Green party
A Green Party spokesperson said: “In a final throw of desperation, Labour have made up an entirely fictitious organisation called ‘Tactical Choice’ referencing them on their final leaflet.
“They’ve had to make this up because every actual tactical voting organisation has endorsed the Green Party as the best hope to keep Reform out in this election.
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“We have great faith in the electorate seeing through these desperate Labour lies and uniting behind the Greens in the by-election tomorrow to beat Reform.
“Hope versus hate is on the ballot tomorrow. Let’s make sure the Greens’ message of hope wins.”
A Labour campaign spokesman did not deny that Tactical Choice appear to have been made up by the party in a bid to sway voters.
He said: “The Greens have been pumping out fake news and deploying dirty tactics for weeks. We’ll take no lectures from them.
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“The only way to defeat Reform in this by-election is by backing Labour.”
Lord Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The former Labour minister and US ambassador has been accused of passing on market sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was business secretary in the wake of the global financial crash.
Two of his properties have been searched by police. Mandelson denies any wrongdoing.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, February 23 and has been taken to a London police station for interview.
“This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”
Footage shown by broadcasters shows a plain clothed police officer leading Lord Mandelson out of a house.
Lord Mandelson then gets into the left rear seat of a waiting unmarked Ford Focus police car.
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Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to Washington last September, just seven months after being appointed by Keir Starmer, after more details emerged about his links to Epstein.
The fresh allegations about his conduct followed the release of millions of documents about Epstein by the US Department of Justice last month.
Mandelson also resigned his seat in the House of Lords, although he still retains his title.
His arrest comes just days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, another former associate of Epstein, was also arrested over allegations he committed misconduct in a public office when he was a UK trade envoy.
Ukraine will mark the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion on Tuesday, February 24.
The date will serve as a cruel reminder of just how long this war has been raging, especially as the third round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US failed to make any significant progress last week.
Earlier this week, he told reporters that it was going to be “very easy” to reach a deal.
But he warned: “Ukraine better come to the table, fast. That’s all I’m telling you. We are in a position, we want them to come.”
Desperate to secure an agreement and consolidate his supposed reputation as a “deal-maker”, Trump has time and time again promised a truce is on the horizon – all while Russian strikes continue to target Ukraine.
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But, as Ukraine enters its fifth year of war, could the president be right, and an end is in sight?
HuffPost UK asked experts just how realistic Trump’s claims are – and if there are any alternatives to a formal peace agreement.
Could 2026 Be The Year The Ukraine War Finally Turns Around?
British officials are confident that Ukraine can hold its ground on the battlefield in the east, even after a challenging winter where Russia repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
That enables Kyiv to hold a firmer line in negotiations – like refusing to give into Putin and Trump’s demands that Ukraine gives up even more land.
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But there are fears – particularly in Ukraine – that the talks themselves are just theatre to entertain Trump, with Kyiv delegates put under pressure to join.
Similarly, experts told HuffPost UK that it seems unlikely these negotiations will result in anything.
Professor Konstantin Sonin, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy said he remains sceptical that Trump could secure a peace deal because “the basic, big things remain unchanged”.
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Ukrainian soldiers of the 48th separate artillery brigade fire at Russian positions on the frontline in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026.
via Associated Press
He told HuffPost UK that Putin does not care about the cost of the war in terms of soldiers’ lives and material expenses, even though Russia is estimated to have suffered 1.2 million casualties since the conflict began.
While British officials have signalled that, beneath the surface, Russia’s economy is slowing down – with a fall in oil prices and a hike in VAT – that impact does not seem to have yet trickled through to the battlefield.
But, at the same time, the Ukrainian army and state is nowhere near the state of collapse. In fact, its defence sector has been boosted over the last four years.
“A couple of more years of grinding warfare, in which the Russian army exchanges dozens of thousands of men for villages and townships in Eastern Ukraine, are totally possible,” Sonin, a Russian citizen and Kremlin critic, said.
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“And then a new US president, a Republican or a Democrat, will be able to push Putin towards peace.”
Dr Simon Bennett, from the University of Leicester’s civil safety and security unit, also suggested it seemed pretty unlikely Trump’s efforts would result in a peace deal.
He said: “The upshot of this in 2026 is likely to be that Russia’s gains will come at an even greater cost, and, occasionally, will be partially reversed, albeit on a small scale in terms of square miles retaken by Ukraine.”
Bennett predicted Putin’s ongoing bid to control the whole of Ukraine’s eastern region, the Donbas, will likely mean the territory continues to be “the same bloody quagmire in 2026 as it was in 2025.”
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“A couple of more years of grinding warfare… are totally possible”
– Professor Konstantin Sonin, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
Could Anything Force Trump To Crack Down On Putin?
Kurt Volker, who stepped down as Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine in 2019, claimed this week that the president has done a lot towards ending the war.
For instance, he has encouraged Ukraine to accept the idea of a ceasefire, and forced European allies to increase defence spending.
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But speaking to the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) think tank, Volker said: “He still needs to get an end to the war. We need to be demanding a ceasefire and putting pressure on Russia to do that as soon as possible.”
The president’s annual State of the Union address is set to be on February 24 this year, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
But experts do not expect him to use the opportunity to finally recognise the extent of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
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As Bennett said, Trump is too “inconsistent” – and his approach to policy-making is a “crisis or war waiting to happen”.
The specialist also pointed out that “Putin has no intention of negotiating a peace deal” and claimed he is playing “demonstrably gullible” Trump.
Meanwhile, when asked if the US president could crack down on Russia in a bid to boost his ratings before the midterm elections in November, Sonin said: “There will be more pressure on Trump from the Congress Republicans, because both the US population and the elite have been consistently supportive of Ukraine through the years of war.
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“So, I’d expect Trump to do small things against Putin.”
President Donald Trump, right, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands at the start of a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
via Associated Press
Could It Be Possible To Agree To A Ceasefire, but Not A Peace Deal?
Kurt Volkner told CEPA that it could be possible to strike up a deal comparable to the one which stopped the war between North and South Korea.
That non-aggression pact has – for the most part – held for more than 70 years, even though neither side technically agreed to a sustainable peace.
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Volkner said: “Someday, I do believe there will be a ceasefire. I don’t believe there will ever be a peace agreement.
“I don’t believe Vladimir Putin will ever accept that there is an independent and sovereign Ukraine.
“Again, of the West, of governments, of investors, businesses, needs to be one that assumes that we will have a strong, growing, prosperous democratic European Ukraine that is safe and worthy of investment and business growth, very much like South Korea, without a final peace agreement with Russia, that’s just going to be where we are.”
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But Sonin disagreed with this idea.
He said that while the North-South Korea deal was “one of the most durable, effective peace agreements despite never being finally ‘settled’”, it’s clear from previous attempts that written agreements between Russia and Ukraine do not work.
He also pointed out that such an agreement relies on the US commitment to help South Korea if North Korea invades, and China’s commitment to help North Korea if South Korea invades.
Sonin said: “A ‘peace agreement without a peace agreement’ between Russia and Ukraine is totally possible, but it will require Polish, German, Swedish, Baltic, etc, troops on the ground in Ukraine and a firm US commitment to get involved immediately if a new conflict starts.”
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Bennett also dismissed Volker’s argument, as Putin still wants to restore Ukraine into a satellite state for Moscow.
“Few western leaders mention the fact that Putin’s war aims have not changed, first, because it does not fit with the Trump-the-Peacemaker-Extraordinaire narrative and secondly, because, when it comes to dealing with Trump, most western leaders are spineless,” Bennett said.
President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
via Associated Press
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Can Anything Be Done In The Pursuit Of Peace?
It’s widely believed that, in the absence of a stronger response from Trump, only a firmer intervention from Europe can actually stop the war.
But Ukraine allies across the continent have so far refused to commit to sending troops unless they operate in a peace-keeping capacity, as they want to avoid direct conflict with Russia.
Sonin told HuffPost UK: “I think that European countries will have to get involved into the military defense of Ukraine – sending ground troops, drone operators, etc. Of course it is a heavy lift politically.
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“However, for the elites in Poland or Germany or Czech Republic or Romania or Baltic countries a scenario of Russia-controlled Ukraine (with Ukrainian army under maybe influence of the Russian masters) should be so scary that even a political heavy lift might become reality.”
He warned that without such an intervention, “the only hope is an internal collapse of Putin’s regime”.
Similarly, Bennett said Europe must resolve the issue by sending arms to Ukraine urgently, while the Russian army is weak.
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“The cost in blood and treasure will be great,” Bennett said. “But nowhere near as great as allowing Russia to regenerate its armed forces for a final push on western Europe in five to 10 years’ time.”
Bennett said he saw this year’s Munich Conference as a “watershed moment”, as US secretary of state Marco Rubio reiterated that the White House primarily sees the Ukraine conflict as a problem for Europe not for the US.
Similarly, Volker said: “Europe can do a lot and can do a lot more than it is currently doing. And as I said, I picked up in Munich a realisation among a lot of European leaders that they’re not doing enough, that they need to step in and fill a gap that the US is leaving. So there are there’s a lot they can do.”
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“The US sees itself as more of an arbiter than a prime mover in respect of European security,” Bennett said, adding: “I shall put it bluntly: the only way to end this war is through war. Europe must take Russia down.”
With nothing within Russia threatening to slow Putin’s ongoing aggression, and Trump’s efforts still – for now – amounting to mainly showmanship, ending the war in 2026 seems like a pipe dream, unless Europe gets directly involved.
As Bennett said: “Our fate is in our hands, and no-one else’s.”
