‘Petulant and pacifist’ Red Ed led Cabinet revolt and ‘rejected Trump’s request to use British bases to bomb Iran’ – after discussing if it was ‘a good thing for Labour’

Cabinet ministers debated whether cozying up to Donald Trump was ‘a good thing for Labor’ before rejecting his request to use British bases to bomb Iran, it emerged last night.

Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper are said to have called on Sir Keir Starmer to have nothing to do with the US attack on Iran, at a time when Labor is under increasing pressure at home from left-wing opponents such as the Greens.

Security sources said Mr Miliband adopted a ‘petulant, pacifist, legalistic and deeply political approach’ to a meeting of the National Security Council last Friday – a day before the US offensive began and just hours after Labor suffered a humiliating defeat by the Greens in the Gorton and Denton by-elections.

While she and the Chancellor were said to be ‘making the Prime Minister’s job very difficult’, Ms Cooper also adopted ‘the cautious approach of the Foreign Office’.

The Prime Minister’s decision on whether the national interest requires Britain to remain close to the US appears to be colored by considerations of Labour’s internal problems.

A source said the debate came down to the legality of the proposed action and ‘whether a positive relationship with the US is a good thing for the party at the moment’, adding: ‘Many people have concluded that it is not.’

Insiders have disputed claims that Sir Keir floated the idea of ​​allowing President Trump to use bases on UK soil before it was blocked by other ministers.

The Prime Minister is said to have received a number of ‘very angry’ phone calls from Mr Trump about the use of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to launch bombing raids.

Security sources said Mr Miliband (pictured) adopted a ‘petulant, pacifist, legalistic and deeply political approach’ at a meeting of the National Security Council last Friday – the day before the US offensive began

Insiders have disputed claims that Sir Keir floated the idea of ​​allowing President Trump (pictured) to use bases on UK soil before it was blocked by other ministers.

However, it appears that he did not believe the action was lawful and that the legal objections put forward by Attorney General Lord Hermer were clearly communicated to the United States days before the final decision.

In a partial U-turn, ministers said US aircraft could now use British bases for the ‘limited’ purpose of launching ‘defensive’ strikes against Iranian missile batteries threatening the region.

A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘We never comment on the content of National Security Council meetings.

‘The decision had the full support of the Council of Ministers, including all members of the National Security Council.’

But the comments reported by The Spectator magazine are likely to anger Mr Trump further and raise new questions about whether Sir Keir can rebuild the special relationship between the US and the UK that underpins security.

The White House hit back at Sir Keir last night when he suggested Mr Trump’s attack on Iran was illegal and unplanned.

The Prime Minister took a rare swipe at the US President yesterday after Mr Trump publicly humiliated him by saying he was ‘no Churchill’.

The Prime Minister told MPs he was not willing to take part in military action without ‘a legal basis and a workable, considered plan’.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt “completely rejected” Sir Keir’s suggestion of illegality last night and said President Trump believed Iran posed an “imminent and direct threat” to the United States and its allies.

Sir Keir insisted the special relationship ‘does not depend on President Trump’s latest words’.

However, Conservative MP Gareth Bacon claimed that the Prime Minister’s ‘indecisiveness’ on the use of British bases was damaging relations with the US.

Sir Keir replied: ‘American aircraft operate out of British bases; this is the special relationship in action.

‘British jets shoot down drones and missiles at our joint bases to protect American lives in the Middle East; this is the special relationship in action.

‘Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe; This is the special relationship.

‘Holding on to President Trump’s final words is not a special relationship in practice.’

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy played down the row last night but admitted Labour’s £35bn Chagos Islands donation to Mauritius may have to be cancelled, telling ITV’s Peston programme: ‘It’s not clear at the moment whether we can transfer that.’

Last night Mr Trump said the US was in a very strong position against Iran and added: ‘Someone asked: “How would you rate it out of ten?” I said around 15.

‘We are in a very good situation. “This is a great display of military might.”