A senior minister has rejected former President Donald Trump’s assertion that Keir Starmer is “no Winston Churchill”, saying the prime minister handled the Middle‑East crisis with composure, clear purpose and a resolve to act in Britain’s best interests.
Trump, in a fresh tirade, complained that the United Kingdom was displeasing, even though the prime minister ultimately permitted the United States to employ Diego Garcia for strikes against Iranian missile sites.
It marked the third occasion within a day that Trump rebuked Starmer for the UK’s decision not to join the opening attacks, highlighting his irritation with western partners for not giving unequivocal support.
When pressed on whether Trump’s stance was justified, Treasury chief secretary James Murray told Times Radio:
“No, look, President Trump has voiced his disagreement with the choice we made not to take part in the initial Iranian strikes over the weekend. What matters is that the prime minister acted in the national interest, with a cool head, clear purpose and a determination to do what’s right for the British people. That is why we declined to join those offensive actions, but when a defensive response was needed to protect British citizens we stepped in and ensured their safety.”
Trump told the Sun that the “relationship is obviously not what it was” after the decision, and in a Telegraph interview claimed Starmer had delayed too long in allowing US use of UK bases.
Starmer had earlier been commended for maintaining a working relationship with the volatile US leader, but on Monday in the Commons he voiced scepticism about the legality of the US operation in Tehran.
When asked if Trump’s comments mattered, Murray replied:
“Well, the president has said his piece, but the crucial point for me is that the prime minister is making the right choices for the UK and that the special relationship with the United States endures. We cooperate with America day after day.”
In other news, a Royal Navy destroyer is slated to arrive in Cyprus next week after Starmer announced it would be deployed to protect the island and British installations following hostile drone activity at RAF Akrotiri on Monday.
The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the government will charter a flight from Oman in the coming days to evacuate vulnerable British nationals from the region amid ongoing Iranian strikes.
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