For almost 48 hours the defence secretary and then the foreign secretary found themselves struggling to set out a clear public position on the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran and what Britain’s response should be.
Sir Keir Starmer made plain his disagreement with President Donald Trump — a rare and significant split between the UK prime minister and the US president. In Commons exchanges, MPs repeatedly invoked the memory of the Iraq war, a conflict more than a decade before Starmer entered Parliament and decades before he became prime minister, as a cautionary reference point for current decisions.
Starmer has emphasised the importance of acting within the law, a stance consistent with his background as a senior lawyer. Most Labour MPs appear broadly comfortable with his approach even as he faces criticism from both the left and the right. The Conservatives and Reform UK argue the government should have shown more robust support for allies the US and Israel, while the Liberal Democrats, Greens and SNP are more inclined to criticise President Trump’s actions.
Polling from YouGov indicates a UK public that is more opposed than supportive of the US strikes, and more people reject than accept the idea of allowing the US to use British airbases.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her Spring Statement at lunchtime. Designed to be low-key and not a vehicle for major fiscal announcements, it is not expected to include tax or spending changes. The statement will respond to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts and is likely to stress stability: measures to ease the cost of living, steps to reduce borrowing and debt, and policies to create conditions for growth.
There are some signs the economic outlook has improved, but the international shock from Mr Trump’s actions means Reeves is likely to devote at least part of her brief to the emerging economic and diplomatic fallout. Those consequences are just beginning to unfold and will shape government messaging in the days ahead.