Yvette Cooper says she focuses on ‘substance not social media’ after Trump rant
Keir Starmer will not turn to ‘rhetoric or hyperbole’ after Donald Trump posted another brutal rebuke of the prime minister, the Foreign Secretary has said.
Yvette Cooper said she is focused on ‘substance not social media’ after the US President questioned whether the UK is still a ‘Great Ally’.
Trump posted last night that ‘we don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won’ following reports the British government was considering sending aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
The US leader also told reporters that the military assets ‘would have been nice’ two weeks ago but now they ‘don’t them need them’.
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The Ministry of Defence had confirmed earlier on Saturday that one of the UK’s two carriers has been placed on advanced readiness.
Responding to the fresh attack, Cooper told Sky News this morning that ‘sometimes we will disagree’ as both countries act in their national interest.
She added: ‘We disagreed on the initial strikes that took place, and whether the UK should provide the basing support for them, but that is a legitimate thing for the UK Prime Minister to do.’
Trump has spent all week criticising Sir Keir, calling him ‘no Churchill’ over his refusal to let the US use British bases for strikes against Iran.
The government has now relented and allowed the Americans to launch ‘defensive’ action against Iran from UK bases.
The delay also sparked anger from former prime minister Tony Blair who said ‘we should have backed America from the very beginning.’
Sir Tony told an event on Friday: ‘If they are your ally and they are an indispensable cornerstone for your security… you had better show up’.
Addressing the former prime minister’s comments, Cooper said that it was important to ‘learn the lessons’ from the Iraq war, when Sir Tony backed the US decision to topple Suddam Hussein.
She added: ‘There are some people in politics who think that we should always agree with the US whatever.
‘There are other people in politics who think we should never take action with the US again whatever the circumstances.
‘I don’t think either of those positions is in the UK national interest, and it is the responsibility for Keir Starmer to act in the UK’s national interest for British citizens.’
It is understood that Sir Tony is clear that the event was private, that it was not meant to be attributed, and that he did not ‘admonish, rebuke or criticise Keir Starmer’.
The Prime Minister has pledged to sent other military assets to support British interests in the Middle East.
Four Typhoon jets have been deployed from RAF Coningsby to Qatar to form a ‘protective shield’ around Brits trapped in the Gulf.
Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon will also be sent to defendBritish base RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which has been targetted by Iranian-made drones.
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