A protester demonstrates outside RAF Lakenheath on 3 April against the UK allowing the US to use its bases. Photograph: Martin Pope/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenA protester demonstrates outside RAF Lakenheath on 3 April against the UK allowing the US to use its bases. Photograph: Martin Pope/Getty ImagesPressure on Starmer to curb US access after Trump ‘whole civilisation will die’ threat Lib Dems, Greens and some Labour MPs demand UK block US from using its airbases for Iran missions
Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure to limit US access to British airbases after Donald Trump threatened “a whole civilisation” would die if Iran ignored his demands, comments that Downing Street has not directly criticised.
No 10 has allowed US forces to use UK bases only for defensive missions against Iran, such as targeting missile sites, ruling out involvement in attacks on civilian infrastructure such as power stations, which the US president has threatened.
The Liberal Democrats and Greens, as well as some Labour MPs, responded to Trump’s demands that Iran accept his conditions by a Tuesday night deadline by calling for the UK government to take further action.
Even Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader and Trump’s closest supporter among the main UK parties, condemned the president’s comments as going “way too far”.
Downing Street declined to comment. Asked whether the UK may limit the use of British bases if US forces did target civilian infrastructure, which most experts would regard as a war crime, Starmer’s official spokesperson said he would not comment on “a hypothetical”.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called on Starmer to immediately block US missions leaving British or US-British airbases, such as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, saying failing to do so “risks making the United Kingdom an accomplice to war crimes”.
View image in fullscreenA US bomber taxis in after landing at RAF Lakenheath on Tuesday. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesZack Polanski, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales, made the same demand, saying: “This is a rogue state carrying out war crimes and threatening more. The UK government must grow a spine and stop our bases being used for this war.”
Starmer’s spokesperson, when asked about the use of British bases, said that while he would not provide a “running commentary on our allies’ operations”, UK bases were available on the strict condition they were used only for defensive missions.
He added: “We remain committed to defending our people, our interests and our allies, acting in accordance with international law and not getting drawn into the wider conflict.”
While no ministers have publicly expressed alarm at Trump’s comments, a series of Labour MPs have done so. Some have called for the UK to block US forces entirely from its bases for Iran missions, following the lead of Spain which has barred US aircraft involved in such attacks from its airspace.
Stella Creasy, a senior Labour MP, called for the UK to not stand by while Trump tore up international law. She said: “The threat to destroy an entire civilisation is beyond unconscionable and unacceptable – it’s not just about the niceties of diplomatic language but the intimidation of an entire nation whose people are already under attack by the ayatollahs Trump claims to oppose.
“We cannot stand by as he rips up international law and risks global chaos, as even if he doesn’t follow through this time, we are all paying the price for this war. It’s time to ask Congress about the 25th amendment and what their red lines are for triggering it.”
One senior Labour backbencher said that so far Starmer had made the right calls over the war but he now needed to change course. “I think now the bare minimum is to take up what Spain has done and say we cannot allow you to use UK military infrastructure for war crimes,” he said.
“Britain cannot have any credibility in the world stage if it allows Donald Trump to use UK military bases for what is very clearly a threat of war crimes.” The MP added that many other MPs were nervous about the UK’s position.
Ben Goldsborough, the South Norfolk MP, called Trump’s comments “reckless and dangerous”, while Dawn Butler, the Brent East MP, said they amounted to a threat of war crimes from “someone who is clearly deranged”.
Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who chairs the Commons foreign affairs select committee, asked how the UK could be sure that US forces were using UK bases only for defensive operations.
She said: “I don’t know the details, but I would presume that there is a protocol that has been agreed. Whoever is president, the trust between our security and defence forces goes pretty deep and so if the UK makes clear what the restrictions are, we would certainly expect the Americans to keep to the agreement.”
Farage, speaking at a Reform UK press conference in Warwickshire, indicated that if he were in power he would allow the US to use UK bases even for attacks on civilian targets in Iran, as long as he received “satisfactory answers” about the aim of the attacks.
But when questioned afterwards about Trump’s comments about an existential threat to Iran, he expressed alarm.
After being read part of Trump’s Truth Social post, Farage said: “I am quite shocked just to hear that. That is over the top in every single way. Yes of course he wants to threaten – to get them to the negotiating table. But those words are … they’re way too far.”
