A senior Labour MP has issued a stark warning that Prime Minister Keir Starmer must unequivocally state that Donald Trump breached international law by authorising the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, arguing that silence could lead to global "anarchy".
Thornberry's Dire Warning on International Order
Dame Emily Thornberry, the chair of the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has called on the UK Government to break its silence. She warned that the US operation, which saw American commandos seize President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday, 3 January 2026, sets a dangerous precedent.
"There are rules and you just can't go around snatching leaders from different countries, taking them back to your domestic courts and trying them," Dame Emily told Times Radio. "It will just end in anarchy." She stressed that post-Second World War international rules, agreed by the global community, were being flouted.
Government's Cautious Response and Internal Pressure
The UK Government's position, articulated by Home Office Minister Mike Tapp on Monday morning, has been notably cautious. While not condemning the action, Mr Tapp stated it was for the United States to set out the legal case for the operation, which Washington justified by labelling Maduro a "narco-terrorist".
Mr Tapp refused to be drawn on whether the UK would condemn a potential US invasion of Greenland, and when pressed on Venezuela's oil wealth as a possible motive, he deferred to the US. However, he made clear the UK shed "no tears whatsoever" for Maduro, whom he described as an illegitimate dictator.
The Geopolitical Ripple Effect
Dame Emily Thornberry highlighted the profound geopolitical consequences of the US action. She expressed fear that it empowers nations like China and Russia to justify similar interventions in their own spheres of influence, such as in Ukraine or Taiwan.
"It's quite difficult to say that they can't, given that America has done it and there's been no consequences and very little criticism, at least from Western governments," she argued. She acknowledged the difficulty of criticising a key ally like the US, particularly with ongoing concerns over Ukraine, but insisted that supporting international law was paramount.
Dame Emily concluded with a direct challenge to the Prime Minister: "I don't think that we can just look away and say nothing... We must be clearer that this has been a breach of international law and we do not agree that they should have done it." The situation leaves the Starmer government navigating a complex diplomatic tightrope between upholding legal principles and managing a vital transatlantic relationship.
