Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader of the opposition, has accused Keir Starmer, United Kingdom prime minister, of failing to show clear leadership as the crisis surrounding Iran deepens, warning that Britain risks losing the confidence of its allies.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Thursday, Badenoch said the United Kingdom had effectively become part of the conflict after Iranian threats against British military bases in Cyprus and Bahrain.
“This is not a strategy,” she said. “We are in this war whether we like it or not.”
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Her comments reflect growing political pressure on Starmer’s government as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise following United States and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region.
Badenoch argued that the government’s approach has left Britain reacting to events rather than shaping them. She warned that allies including the United States were beginning to question the country’s commitment.
“This is very worrying,” she said. “Our allies think that we are abandoning them.”
The criticism comes after the United Kingdom initially refused a United States request to use British military bases for the first wave of strikes on Iran last Saturday. The government later allowed American forces to use the bases for defensive operations against Iranian missile sites.
The decision drew sharp criticism from Donald Trump, United States president, who said he was “shocked” by the refusal and suggested the historic relationship between Washington and London was weakening. Trump also took a swipe at Starmer personally, saying he was “no Winston Churchill”.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Badenoch accused the government of asking allies to act while Britain remained on the sidelines.
She said the United Kingdom should consider stronger action after Iranian attacks targeted British military installations in Cyprus and Bahrain.
“The prime minister is catching arrows rather than stopping the archer,” she said. “What is he waiting for?”
Starmer rejected the criticism and defended the government’s cautious approach, saying his first responsibility was to protect British citizens and avoid dragging the country into a wider war without proper justification.
“My number one priority is the safety of British nationals,” he told MPs.
The prime minister said he would not allow the United Kingdom to enter a war unless there was a clear legal basis and a carefully developed plan.
“What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the United Kingdom to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought through plan,” he said.
Starmer also insisted Britain was already taking significant steps to respond to the threat in the region.
He said British aircraft were operating in the skies to intercept incoming attacks and that additional military assets were being deployed. These include radar systems, ground based air defence, counter drone systems and F35 fighter jets.
Wildcat helicopters equipped to counter drones are expected to arrive in Cyprus later this week, while the Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon has been assigned to the region.
Badenoch challenged the government’s claims, noting that HMS Dragon was still in Portsmouth and arguing that ministers should be doing more to strengthen the country’s military posture.
She also accused the government of failing to invest sufficiently in defence.
Starmer responded by turning the criticism back on the Conservatives, accusing the previous government of weakening Britain’s armed forces through spending cuts and recruitment failures.
He said the armed forces had been left “hollowed out” during Conservative rule.
