Sir Keir Starmer is “learning lessons” from the Iraq war in how he responds to the escalating conflict in Iran, the foreign secretary said.
Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Yvette Cooper hit back at reported comments made by Sir Tony Blair.
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The former Labour prime minister, who supported the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 by sending in British ground troops, is said to have told a private event that Sir Keir should have backed Donald Trump from the beginning of the offensive against Iran.
Ms Cooper argued that supporting the initial strikes was not in the British interest, but that it was to help defend against Iranian retaliation.
Sir Tony Blair. Pic: Reuters
She said: “I think the point is to make sure that actually we learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq.
“And I think that is exactly what Keir Starmer has done.
“And to make sure we’ve got military action taking place as we speak to defend countries that are facing Iranian strikes, because that is in the British national interest.
“But we don’t do things that are not in the British national interest.”
It is understood Sir Tony’s comments were at a private event and not meant to be made public, while a spokesperson for the ex-Labour leader claimed he did not directly criticise or “rebuke” the prime minister.
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Last week, President Trump branded Sir Keir “no Winston Churchill” for initially denying permission to launch strikes at Iran from the joint US-UK Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands.
Sir Keir later granted the US use of British facilities for “defensive” action against Iranian missile sites.
Mr Trump hit out at the UK again last night, saying the US does not need anyone to “join wars after we’ve already won”.
The US president was referring to reports the UK was preparing an aircraft carrier in response to the Middle East crisis.
Iran missile launch
He posted on his Truth Social platform: “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”.
Ms Cooper did not directly criticise Mr Trump, but said it was “not our style” to “conduct diplomacy through social media”.
Asked why the UK government isn’t telling Trump off, she said Sir Keir’s style of doing politics “is obviously very different” and “actually the British character more widely is to do things in a serious and steady way”.
She would not say when the prime minister last spoke to Mr Trump, adding: “If you want to conduct diplomacy through social media, that’s one thing, that is not our style.”
Later on Sunday afternoon, Downing Street confirmed Sir Keir and Mr Trump held a phone call where they discussed the Middle East.
The call was understood to have lasted 20 minutes.
A readout from Downing Street about what was discussed said: “The leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region.
“The prime minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers.
“They looked forward to speaking again soon.”
