Foreign Secretary refuses to back US strikes as bombshell legal advice from Attorney General threatens to tie Britain’s hands – while PM’s G7 prediction spectacularly backfires
David Lammy repeatedly ducked and dodged today on whether Britain supports America’s bombing of Iran – as he sensationally admitted the government hasn’t even received legal advice on the crisis despite claims the Attorney General warned involvement could be illegal.
The Foreign Secretary squirmed in the Commons as he urged Tehran to ‘take the off ramp’ of negotiations while facing a barrage from MPs demanding to know the UK’s “clear position” on US strikes that have plunged the Middle East into chaos.
His evasive performance came as Keir Starmer was left looking like a “chump” after Donald Trump completely blindsided him with military action – just days after the PM confidently told reporters at the G7 he didn’t believe America would attack.
No Legal Advice?
In an extraordinary admission, Lammy told MPs the UK had NOT received any legal advice from Attorney General Lord Hermer about the crisis – directly contradicting reports the peer had cautioned Britain should only be involved in defensive operations.
We did not receive that advice,” Lammy insisted when pressed about claims Lord Hermer had warned UK participation would be illegal.
The Foreign Secretary also confirmed America never even asked to use the Diego Garcia base as a staging post for Saturday night’s bunker-buster raids on Iranian nuclear sites.
They did not seek that advice,” he said, leaving MPs wondering whether Britain had been completely sidelined by its closest ally.
‘Serious Risk’ Warning
Lammy warned the situation “represents serious risk to British assets in the region,” telling Tehran: “We are prepared to defend our personnel.
But he pointedly refused to endorse the US military action, arguing instead that strikes could not be a permanent solution because Iran retained the expertise to enrich uranium.
“That knowledge is not lost… it is the stepping stone to a nuclear weapon,” he said, suggesting diplomatic negotiations remained the only viable path.
Starmer’s Humiliation
The evasive Commons performance capped a humiliating few days for Sir Keir, who had confidently predicted at last week’s G7 summit in Canada that Trump wouldn’t launch attacks.
There is nothing the president said that suggests he’s about to get involved in this conflict,” Starmer told journalists – a prediction that spectacularly backfired when US B-2 bombers dropped bunker-busters on Iranian nuclear sites just days later.
Downing Street’s readout of a call between the leaders notably failed to include any reference to the “de-escalation” Sir Keir has been desperately urging in other statements.
Instead, they apparently agreed Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and should return to negotiations – before Trump took to social media suggesting regime change and swiping it could be time to “Make Iran Great Again.
Legal Confusion
The confusion over Lord Hermer’s advice has added to the government’s woes. Multiple reports suggested the Attorney General – a close Starmer ally – had warned that UK involvement beyond defensive action would breach international law.
The Spectator quoted an official saying: “The AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies.”
But Lammy’s insistence no such advice was received has left MPs baffled about whether the government is hiding behind legal concerns or simply hasn’t bothered to seek proper counsel.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey demanded the government publish any legal advice, warning: “The last thing we need is for the UK to be dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East by the US.
Ministers Duck and Weave
The Foreign Secretary’s performance followed a morning of ministerial evasion, with government spokespeople repeatedly refusing to say whether Britain supported the US action.
When asked directly on BBC Radio 4 whether the strikes were legal, Lammy sidestepped: “There is still an off-ramp for the Iranians.
He refused to confirm Iranian claims he had “expressed regret” during a phone call with his Tehran counterpart, with the Foreign Office dismissing such reports as “inaccurate.”
Opposition Attacks
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel savaged the government’s fence-sitting, declaring Iran was “a threat to our safety and security” and arguing Britain cannot “hide behind legal advice at a time of crisis.
But from the other side, the Greens and Labour left MPs condemned any potential UK involvement as a breach of international law.
Trump’s Regime Change Bombshell
The government’s confused messaging was further complicated by Trump’s provocative social media post floating regime change – directly contradicting earlier administration statements rejecting such aims.
It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump posted.
The stance raises fundamental questions about whether Britain even knows what American policy is – let alone whether it supports it.
A Special Relationship?
As Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz send oil prices soaring and Tehran vows “serious” retaliation, Britain appears caught between backing its closest ally and avoiding another Middle East quagmire.
With Starmer’s influence seemingly non-existent and his predictions proving worthless, the question haunting Westminster tonight is stark: does the Special Relationship even exist anymore?
Or has Trump simply decided Britain is irrelevant to his plans – leaving Sir Keir looking like exactly what his critics claim: a chump who’s been completely outmanoeuvred on the world stage?
David Lammy with Keir Starmer, 10 Downing Street cabinet appointment
Photo by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, taken on 5 July 2024, used under the UK Open Government Licence v3.0
