Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of changing their positions on the war in Iran, claiming the UK would be at war now if they were in charge. During a heated Prime Minister's Questions session, Starmer said Badenoch had made the 'mother of all U-turns' after she denied calling for the UK to join US strikes on Iran, despite previously pressing him to do more.
Starmer told MPs that Badenoch had 'utterly disqualified herself from ever becoming prime minister' by shifting her stance on the 'single most important decision' of committing the UK to war. He also criticised her for describing RAF personnel as 'just hanging about', saying they had flown over 230 hours of defensive operations and shot down multiple drones.
Badenoch's spokesperson later accused Starmer of misrepresenting her position, arguing she had only called for the UK to allow US use of British bases, not to join the war. The spokesperson said the UK was already 'in the war' due to attacks on British bases in Cyprus, but denied this meant joining the conflict.
Starmer also targeted Nigel Farage, who previously said the 'gloves need to come off' with Iran and supported regime change, but now says the UK should not get involved in another foreign war. The Prime Minister said both leaders had urged the UK to join last week, and if they were in charge, 'we'd be at war'.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey backed Starmer, accusing Badenoch and Farage of being 'Donald Trump's biggest cheerleader' and praising the Prime Minister for rejecting their 'costly warmongering'. Davey called for guarantees that energy bills would not rise sharply in July due to the conflict.
