UK considering sending warship to Cyprus to defend RAF airbase
John Healey, the defence secretary, is considering deploying the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan to Cyprus to bolster the defence of the Akrotiri RAF airbase against potential future drone attacks.
Although no final decision has been made, multiple sources indicate that the deployment of HMS Duncan, currently stationed in Portsmouth, is under discussion as a measure to enhance the protection of the base in Cyprus.
HMS Duncan specializes in counter-drone operations and recently participated in a test exercise off the coast of Wales involving swarms of drones before hosting a family day event.
At present, no major Royal Navy warships are deployed in or have been sent to the Middle East, despite the conflict entering its fourth day. Concerns have been raised about the ease with which Akrotiri’s air defences were breached.
One drone, believed by Cypriot authorities to have been operated from Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon, crashed onto the runway around midnight yesterday. Two additional drones were intercepted subsequently.
It would take several days for HMS Duncan to reach Cyprus from Portsmouth, traveling at approximately 30 knots (34.5 mph).
During a House of Commons session yesterday, Ellie Chowns called for a parliamentary vote on any UK involvement in the conflict.
“We are not at war,” she stated, adding, “We are not getting involved in offensive action that the US and Israel are taking.”
Ellie Chowns, the Green Party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, has introduced an "Armed Conflict (Requirements) Bill" which mandates that any UK military intervention must have a lawful basis, a viable objective, and approval from Members of Parliament.
In a letter addressed to the prime minister, Chowns, the Green MP for North Herefordshire, wrote:
“In recent days we have seen a deeply concerning escalation in conflict in the Middle East following a series of illegal and dangerously irresponsible airstrikes on Iran by the United States and Israel. You have now confirmed that UK bases will be used by the US for their operations in the area. This is a significant concession to President Donald Trump and one which risks drawing the UK into a dangerous conflict.
During your campaign to be elected leader of the Labour party, you spoke compellingly about learning the lessons of the Iraq war. In particular, you set out legislation you would pass as prime minister, ensuring that military action is only taken if:
- The lawful case for it is made
- Consent is given by the House of Commons.
We agree that such legislation is needed to prevent the UK from being dragged into destructive, illegal and dangerous wars abroad, and so we have today tabled the Armed Conflict (Requirements) Bill.”
More than 100,000 Britons were stranded in the Gulf on Monday, with airspace closures affecting most flights and overland evacuation considered risky amid ongoing missile and drone strikes across the region.
Downing Street stated that UK officials are evaluating all options to ensure the safe return of citizens, including commercial, charter, and military flights, as well as bus transport across land borders into neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Turkey.
“The increasingly reckless strikes from the Iranian regime targeting Gulf allies, including strikes on bases, airports and hotels, directly put British lives at risk,” a spokesperson for Keir Starmer said.
“The safety and security of those British nationals remains this government’s top priority. We know people right across the country will be deeply concerned by the scale of this crisis, particularly British nationals, including holidaymakers and transit passengers currently in the region being advised to shelter in place.
We always recommend they follow Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice but want people to get back home as quickly as possible, and we are looking at all options.”
The Foreign Office has established 24/7 consular support to assist Britons in the region, deploying additional staff to coordinate with the travel industry and governments amid the rapidly evolving situation.
Green party overtakes Labour in YouGov poll
A recent YouGov voting intention survey conducted for The Times and indicates a surge in support for the Green Party, which has risen to second place, while Labour has fallen to its lowest recorded level.
The survey, conducted among 2,073 respondents on Sunday and Monday, showed Reform UK leading with 23% support (down by one point), the Greens at 21% (up by four points), Labour and the Conservatives tied at 16% (each down by two points), and the Liberal Democrats steady at 14%.
The poll reflects widespread dissatisfaction with traditional parties and follows the Green Party’s victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, delivering a significant setback to Keir Starmer.
Starmer now faces pressure to appeal to more left-wing voters to counter the Green Party’s rise, although it may be challenging given his recent focus on socially conservative voters who might lean towards Reform UK.
On Monday evening, the prime minister addressed Labour MPs, stating:
“Politics is changing, and changing decisively … (but) I believe, and continue to believe, that there is a mainstream majority in this country who neither want Nigel Farage or Zack Polanski as their prime minister.”
The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, and other ministers from her department are scheduled to appear in the House of Commons from 11:30 am today. Key developments will be reported as they occur.
Spring statement to be delivered amid turmoil in financial markets caused by Iran war
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to assert later today that she has restored the country’s public finances to a state capable of withstanding economic shocks as she delivers the spring statement.
As the conflict continues to disrupt production and supply chains, Reeves is anticipated to outline her belief that her plan is best suited for a world that has become increasingly uncertain.
However, analysts warn that soaring global energy prices resulting from the escalating conflict could undermine the chancellor’s growth objectives and potentially drive inflation higher.
Government ministers have downplayed the significance of the spring statement, indicating that it will not introduce new tax or spending policies.
Reeves is scheduled to speak in the House of Commons at approximately 12:30 pm. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent body overseeing government spending plans, will publish its economic and fiscal outlook around 12:50 pm.
The forecasts are not expected to incorporate the economic effects of the recent airstrikes on Iran. For the latest updates, readers are directed to our ongoing coverage.
Starmer's 'failure to be a reliable ally' puts UK-US relationship 'under strain', Jenrick says
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s treasury spokesperson, has criticized Keir Starmer’s “failure to be a reliable ally,” stating it has placed the UK-US relationship “under a lot of strain.”
Jenrick, who in January made similar remarks on Times Radio, said:
“It’s bigger and deeper than one prime minister and one president and so I’m sure it can be built up again in the future.
But it’s quite clear that the prime minister’s failure to be a reliable ally to the United States in this moment has placed it under a lot of strain, and that is a cause for concern.
I’m actually more concerned about British interest, rather than what another leader, albeit a very important ally of ours, thinks of the United Kingdom.
And there again, I think Starmer has got it wrong, because we’ve seen the drone attacks on our base in Cyprus, putting in danger our troops and the service families who live there.
The prime minister’s response has been too slow. He should have made our bases available sooner and he should have used what military assets we have to defend that base more rigorously than he did.”
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and an ally of Donald Trump, has expressed support for regime change in Iran and advocated for the RAF and Royal Navy to support US strikes on Iran.
Many legal experts argue that the US-Israel strikes on Iran were unlawful, violating the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force and international law. The UK government released legal advice on Sunday night stating:
“The UK’s actions and related support to its allies is solely focused on ending the threat of air and missile attacks against regional allies unlawfully attacked by Iran and who have not been involved in hostilities from the outset.”
UK not going to get involved in a 'wider conflict in the Middle East', minister says
When asked about the status of the so-called “special relationship,” Darren Jones told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
“The UK-American relationship is important. It has been for a long time and will continue to be, and we’re working in collaboration right now in the Middle East on defensive action to protect British citizens.
I think the President’s frustration, from the way he’s articulated it, has been that we were not involved in the initial American and Israeli strikes in Iran, but as the prime minister said to the House of Commons yesterday, we will only engage British armed forces when it’s in British interests with a clear plan and on a legal basis.
We’re now doing that for defensive action, but we’re not going to be getting involved in a wider conflict in the Middle East.”
Regarding the legality of the initial attacks, he stated, “Well, that’s a question for the Americans and the American administration.”
In an interview with The Sun last night, Donald Trump suggested that Keir Starmer was “pandering” to Muslim voters in shaping his policy on Iran, a claim that Darren Jones addressed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning:
“That’s just, that’s not right. The UK will act in the interests of British citizens, regardless of their faith or where they are in the United Kingdom.
I think the public would rightly say they don’t want to be involved in a wider war in the Middle East, but they would expect us to do whatever we can to defend British citizens.”
Keir Starmer has previously been praised for maintaining a relationship with the volatile US president. However, on Monday in the House of Commons, the prime minister expressed doubts about the US action in Tehran and its legality.
“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable thought-through plan,” he said. “That is the principle that I applied to the decisions that I made over the weekend.”
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Starmer said the UK was deploying planes and permitting the use of bases for defensive purposes due to Iran launching strikes on the UK’s allies in the region in retaliation.
He noted that the RAF intercepted an Iranian drone strike targeting a coalition base in Iraq where UK forces are stationed. Two drones were also intercepted at RAF Akrotiri, which Starmer said were launched before Sunday night’s statement on the US use of UK bases.
The UK is expected to allow the US to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands to bomb Iran’s “missile cities,” sites where high-speed ballistic missiles, Iran’s most dangerous weapons, are stored and can be launched.
Trump says he is 'very sad' that the UK-US relationship is 'not what it was'
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. US President Donald Trump has expressed that he is “very sad” to observe that the UK-US relationship “is not what it was” after criticizing Keir Starmer for taking “far too long” to permit US forces to use UK airbases to attack Iran.
“It’s a different world, actually. It’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before.
It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”
Speaking to The Sun from the White House on Monday evening, Trump compared Starmer’s actions unfavourably with France’s support for the strikes and the backing of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK,” he said.
In a significant and rare divergence from Washington’s foreign policy stance, Starmer stated that the UK does not support “regime change from the skies” while defending his decision not to allow the use of UK bases for the initial wave of attacks.
The prime minister noted that the situation changed on Sunday when Iran’s “outrageous” response became a threat to British people and allies.
He has now agreed to the US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, accused the government of being “too scared” to adopt a stronger stance against Iran.
Today’s coverage will primarily focus on the UK political reaction to the rapid developments in the Israel-US conflict with Iran, as the situation escalates with Israeli military strikes on Tehran and Beirut.
Readers can follow our business coverage to monitor market reactions as the war drives up oil and gas prices following Iran’s expanded retaliatory attacks on American targets in the Gulf region.
