‘Diplomacy through social media isn’t our style’: Labour minister Cooper hits back at Trump over his latest online blast at Starmer over Iran war – and dismisses Blair attack on PM
Yvette Cooper hit back at Donald Trump today after the US president launched another online salvo against the Prime Minister, shattering the ‘special relationship’.
The Foreign Secretary said ‘diplomacy via social media is not our style’ and a ‘calm, cool-headed approach’ was needed after Trump warned that the US would ‘remember’ the lack of support from ‘our once great ally’.
The Republican also suggested in a post on the Truth Social network that the Prime Minister was trying to join a war that had already been won.
The UK government did not take part in last weekend’s US-Israeli attacks on Iran, with the Prime Minister saying last week he did not believe in ‘regime change from heaven’.
However, he accepted the US request to use its military bases for ‘specific and limited defense purposes’ to destroy Iran’s missiles ‘at source’.
Appearing on Sky News today, Ms Cooper defended Sir Keir’s refusal to engage in offensive action, saying it was not in the UK’s national interest to attack Iran.
Asked about the Trump attack, he said: ‘Keir Starmer’s way of doing politics is obviously very different and I think it’s this sort of calm, cool-headed approach to big, serious, international issues… I think that’s really true.
‘And we’re not going to do things based on rhetoric or hyperbole; We will actually do things through practical, calm and steady decision-making. Because I think that’s actually the character of the British in a broader sense… to do things in a serious, steady way.’
He also lashed out at former Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair, who criticized Sir Keir at an event in London for not lining up with the US as he did in Iraq.
‘I think the key is to make sure we learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq, and I think that’s exactly what Keir Starmer has done,’ he said.
‘Diplomacy via social media is not our style’ and a ‘calm, cool-headed approach’ was needed, the Foreign Secretary said, after Trump warned the US would ‘remember’ the lack of support from our ‘once great ally’
The Royal Navy does not need aircraft carriers, Donald Trump told Sir Keir Starmer last night, in a fresh blow to so-called Special Relations.
Appearing on Sky News today, Ms Cooper defended Sir Keir’s refusal to engage in offensive action, saying it was not in the UK’s national interest to attack Iran.
Sir Tony’s spokesman said his comments were made at a private event and were not intended to be made public.
The Royal Navy does not need aircraft carriers, Trump told Sir Keir Starmer last night in a fresh blow to so-called Special Relations.
He posted on the Truth Social platform: ‘Our once Great Ally, perhaps the greatest of all, the United Kingdom, is seriously considering eventually sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
‘It’s okay Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them anymore – But we’ll remember. We don’t need people joining Wars after we’ve already won them!’
It follows Saturday’s announcement that the Royal Navy is preparing one of its two aircraft carriers for potential deployment to the Middle East.
HMS Prince of Wales’ readiness is being increased; The crew was warned to prepare to depart within five days.
The Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will also set sail next week.
Sir Tony blasted Keir Starmer for not backing Donald Trump’s war on Iran at an event on Friday: ‘We should have supported America from the start’.
Amid rising diplomatic tensions between London and Washington over the conflict, Sir Tony warned his successor as Labor leader: ‘If they are your allies and an indispensable cornerstone of your security… you’d better come forward’.
It comes after it was revealed on Saturday that the Royal Navy is preparing HMS Prince of Wales (pictured, file photo), one of its two aircraft carriers, for potential deployment to the Middle East.
The sky over Tehran turned a disturbing red and filled with acrid smoke after US and Israeli forces struck several oil depots in the Iranian capital
Sir Tony’s criticism of Sir Keir at an event hosted by the Jewish News on Friday is likely to provoke anger in the Labor Party, which is still sore from its decision to join America’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 on the spurious grounds that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
The former Prime Minister’s dramatic intervention came after President Trump described Sir Keir as “no Winston Churchill” for initially refusing permission to launch attacks on Iran from UK territory, including the US joint base at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
Trump said he was ‘very disappointed’ by his British counterpart after Sir Keir relented by saying he would allow the US to fly missions for ‘specific and limited defense purposes’.
Sir Keir justified his initial refusal to support Trump on the grounds that he did not believe in ‘regime change from heaven’. The arguments were based on international law but driven by political calculations about his Cabinet’s reluctance to emulate Sir Tony’s unquestioning support for American military action.
