The UK is right to weigh diplomatic relations before 'calling out' allies for potential breaches of international law, Attorney General Richard Hermer has said. In his first public comments since the US attack on Venezuela, Hermer refrained from singling out the Trump administration, insisting his remarks were theoretical.
Hermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, argued that in a 'complicated and dangerous' world, leaders should use 'statecraft' to consider other factors when deciding whether to hold allies to account. The intervention comes amid domestic criticism over the UK's reluctance to condemn the US attack on Venezuela and threats toward Greenland.
Labour MPs, including Welsh leader Eluned Morgan and Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry, have called for a more robust approach. Thornberry said the attack was 'a breach of international law' and that the UK should be clearer in its opposition. Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have not described the attack as a breach, but the prime minister has stated that only Greenland and Denmark should decide the territory's future.
Hermer emphasised Britain's commitment to the international rules-based order, despite challenges from countries like Russia. He argued that 'throwing our muscle around or just kind of flouting rules' would not serve the national interest. He also defended the European Convention on Human Rights, warning that withdrawal would leave the UK in 'splendid isolation' and be counterproductive to tackling illegal migration.
The attorney general launched a staunch defence of Starmer, suggesting he had been misunderstood, and drew a dividing line between Labour's protection of fundamental rights and the threat posed by Reform UK, which he said would 'take away rights from working people' and 'undermine the rule of law'.
