Politics latest: Starmer to address UK’s role in US-Iran strikes after Trump slams PM over use of bases

Sir Keir Starmer will brief Parliament on the Middle East crisis at 15.30.

The Prime Minister said: “I know that the situation in the Middle East is worrying for British people both in the region and at home.

“It is my duty as Prime Minister to keep the British people safe.

“I will answer questions in Parliament about the steps we took over the weekend.”

An Etihad Airways flight took off from Abu Dhabi to London’s Heathrow airport.

Flight EY67 is expected to land at Terminal 4 of West London Airport at 19.14.

Flight tracking company Flightradar24 said it was one of 15 Etihad Airways flights departing from Abu Dhabi within three hours.

Flightradar24 added that the flights “will likely help clear transit passengers who have been stuck there since the beginning of the conflict.”

Emirates said it would continue to operate a “limited number of flights” on Monday night.

The Dubai-based airline suspended its operations due to the war in the Middle East.

The following statements were made in the statement: “Emirates will start operating a limited number of flights as of the evening of March 2.

“We are primarily welcoming customers who book early and those who have rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates.

“Please do not go to the airport unless you are notified. All other flights are postponed until further notice.”

Kemi Badenoch has warned that Iran will launch a catastrophic attack on the UK if it develops nuclear weapons, and stated that he supports the deployment of British troops in the conflict in the Middle East.

He said: “I don’t want to see a situation where we’re sending British soldiers, people’s sons and daughters, into war at a time when it’s not clear what’s going on.

“It’s very, very clear what’s going on in Iran, and we can’t just bury our heads in the sand like ostriches and do nothing and hope the problem will be solved.

“I don’t want to see an Iran with nuclear weapons, because if they have nuclear weapons, we will have nuclear weapons.

“That’s very clear. That’s what we have to explain to a lot of people who can’t understand the ins and outs of the situation.”

“We need to be honest about this. Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t know what he believes in. I know what I believe in and I can say it.”

Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou writes…

No 10 ignored Donald Trump’s criticism that Sir Keir Starmer had initially blocked the US from using British military bases to target Iran.

In an interview with TelegramThe US president said he was “very disappointed” and said it “took too long” for Starmer to change his mind about allowing them to use bases such as the Chagos Islands.

He said: “This has probably never happened before between our countries. Apparently he was concerned about legality.”

But the prime minister’s official spokesman insisted: “The UK and the US are staunch allies and have been for decades.”

Our political correspondent Millie Cooke writes…

Kemi Badenoch said she thought it was right for MPs not to vote on allowing British bases to be used in attacks against Iran, adding that she was concerned about “people like Zarah Sultana being allowed to vote on serious issues related to natural security”.

Asked whether MPs should be voted on events in Iran, the Conservative Party leader said: “It depends. I don’t think we need a vote on this. And frankly, given that this is the far-left Parliament, where extremely stupid people sit, I actually worry about people like Zarah Sultana being allowed to vote on serious issues related to natural security.”

“There’s a place for MPs to vote, there’s a place for that too, but sometimes when things move quickly we can’t spend time with so many people chatting GPT written about things they don’t know about.“

Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of “party political calculation” for initially not allowing the UK-US Diego Garcia base to be used to target Iran.

Speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank, the Opposition leader said the British public “will be wondering why our country’s response has been so weak”.

The official explanation for the hesitation is international law, but this is a fig leaf.

“The real explanation is not legal, but political.

“There are groups across the UK whose political commitments to conflicts in the Middle East do not align with Britain’s national interests.

“These are the people Labor sees as voters because without them they cannot stay in power.

“This is not international law or principle, but pure partisan political calculation by Labor abdicating its right to govern our country and the reality of decades of failed integration policy.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

The UK government is “considering all options” as it works on plans for the possible evacuation of more than 100,000 Britons from the Middle East.

It is understood that there are around 200,000 British citizens in the region and 100,000 have registered their presence with the government.

British citizens are advised to follow instructions from local authorities and the Foreign Office’s travel advice, which authorities expect to change quickly. It is understood that the repatriation of UK citizens will likely be organized by the Foreign Office, with a possible route involving people traveling by land to Saudi Arabia, where they can then board a plane.

The Independent’s Millie Cooke reports:

Kemi Badenoch said integration should not be a two-way street, instead people coming to Britain should assimilate.

He told a press conference in London: “Tolerance is an important part of any decent society, but tolerating minority communities does not mean we want people to live in tribes.

“What we want is assimilation. A single society with common norms within the framework of the same laws.”

He added: “Most people in power have decided that integration is a two-way street, rather than asking newcomers to join our way of life.

“This is what creates space for division, with endless debates about halal meat and whether we should ban the burqa.

“The truth is, if the authorities cannot enforce the law on family voting in Gorton, I can assure you they will not tear the burqas off women’s faces or put them in jail.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

Downing Street stressed that Britain’s commitment to international law “remains intact” and said the US request to use UK bases to strike Iran was accepted as being in line with international law.

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that he has given permission for American forces to use British military bases, which continue their attacks on Iran, for “specific and limited defensive purposes”. It is understood that Britain gave permission to the USA for the limited purpose of targeting Iran’s ballistic missile depots and launchers.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said the UK’s commitment to international law “remains intact” and the request was accepted “in accordance with international law”.