Starmer’s liaison committee jaunt was largely soporific – just as he’d wanted | John Crace
KOne week makes a difference. At prime minister’s questions last week Keir Starmer tried to convince us that he knew less than he did. His memory was so bad that he could barely remember who Peter Mandelson was, let alone why he appointed him ambassador to the United States. By the time he appeared before the liaison committee, the top group of select committee chairs, on Monday, Keir was trying to convince us that he knew more than he did. He had an inside track on Iran. He was in control. It was also completely unconvincing.
Remember, it’s hard not to feel a little bit of sympathy for Starmer. The whole point of being a Prime Minister is that you are expected to know more. And most of the time you do. State secrets are your lifeblood. Only occasionally the curtain shifts. Donald Trump, who a few days ago had threatened to destroy power plants in Tehran, announced on Truth Social on Monday morning – along with the odd witch send-up – that he would delay the bombardment for five days while constructive talks with the Iranian regime continued.
And no one, not even Starmer, has any idea what to think. Was this another example of Taco (Trump always chickens out) after calling Iran’s bluff and threatening to escalate the war even further? Was this US president looking for a way out of a conflict that wasn’t going as planned? Or would he change his mind within a few days and bomb Iran anyway? Both were equally possible. Because even Donald doesn’t know what he will do in a few days or even a few hours. He is a man of impulse. An amoral narcissist.
Early in the liaison committee, Starmer sought to reassure MPs that he had covered the bases. He insisted that he had prior knowledge of recent discussions between the United States and Iran. But did he? Normally you would think Keir’s confession confirmed that the talks took place. But the truth is that the leading countries in the war all acted in bad faith. Trump may have told Starmer about the negotiations, but that doesn’t mean they took place. And likewise, just because Iranians reject such transactions doesn’t mean they don’t do them.
A touch more reality entered the proceedings when Starmer said he had no idea how long the conflict would last. Although he did not want to criticize the US president too openly, he preferred to say that everything was in Trump’s hands. The war could be over by the end of the week. There again it may take months. But Keir was laser-focused (he’s often laser-focused these days) on doing whatever he could to de-escalate the situation.
Starmer probably couldn’t say more than that in the circumstances, and the committee, made up almost entirely of Labor MPs, decided not to push him too hard on matters beyond his control. Instead they chose to focus on the UK’s response so far. It lasted a largely soporific 90 minutes. Exactly the effect Keir was hoping for. Every prime minister aims to emerge from a liaison committee meeting by boring most people to death without saying anything that will make news.
Defense committee chairman Tan Singh Dhesi briefly tried to liven things up by arguing that it was a shame that the UK did not have a single warship in the area when the war began. “Not at all,” Starmer replied. We had previously deployed all kinds of military equipment to the Gulf. It’s not just the navy. Moreover, we had HMS Dragon ready to go to sea in just six days compared to the normal six weeks. When you think about it, being only six days late for the war wasn’t actually that bad. After all, not much happens in the first week.
Dhesi then pressed Starmer on Israeli reports that Iran now has missiles capable of reaching London. And we had no defense shield that could prevent them. Keir was adamant that we were more than capable of defending ourselves; He did not say whether he thought Iran’s missile capabilities were exaggerated. He said people shouldn’t worry too much about it. Moreover, if a missile hit London, those who were hit would not know anything, because they would all be dead. So it’s best not to think about them.
The sharpest exchanges took place with Tory Bernard Jenkins alone. Bernie wanted to know what happened to the defense investment plan. Starmer said this was taking time as the Conservatives had gutted the armed forces due to 12 years of underfunding. Although there are insufficient funds.
Jenkins was in no mood for chitchat. Churchill didn’t rub his hands. Bernie wanted a scrap. With everyone. Not just fighting them on the beaches, but fighting them everywhere. “You are at peace,” he said. “We are at war.” If Bernie were in charge, he would have built dozens of frigates in the last 18 months. As well as the illegal reopening of oil fields. “It’s an emergency.” I wish he could have said all this while his own party was in power.
Perhaps it was because the room was stiflingly hot – someone had turned the radiators up full blast – but the rest of the hearing was uneventful. We have been told over and over again that the reports will be with us in due course. Nobody asked about Mandelson. Or whether the king’s state visit to the United States will go ahead.
Instead, Keir said contingency plans for energy shortages and price rises were being reviewed, and while he ruled the war was unlawful for Britain, it was up to the United States to make its own judgment on legality. We had adopted a policy of collective self-defense and would not take part in offensive operations. Oh, Britain would not be a haven for those who commit crimes against humanity. It was a relief.
The session ended with committee chair Meg Hillier offering her condolences to Starmer. They say it is difficult to deal with such an unstable US president. The code for madness. He didn’t mention the latest Saturday Night Live sketch that Trump rebroadcast. Again, it wasn’t this funny the first time. Keir puffed out his chest. He knew people were trying to undermine him, but he would always protect the interests of the United Kingdom. He would never surrender. At that point I saw a tear come to Bernie’s eye.
