A leading expert in US foreign policy warned yesterday that prime minister Sir Keir Starmer faces might soon have to pick a side his attempts to balance relations with the United States and Europe.
Dr Matt Hill, head of International Relations and Politics at Liverpool John Moores University, made his comments in an interview with MerseyNewsLive yesterday.
His words came before US President Donald Trump doubled down on his criticisms of Sir Kier in an Oval Office press scrum.
Mr Trump said: “Well, he hasn’t been supportive, and I think it’s a big mistake.”
The President has also been critical of Starmer for not sending British warships to the region to aid US combat efforts.
Dr Hill warned that there may come a time in the future when Sir Keir Starmer is going to have to choose either Europe or the United States.
Dr Hill told MerseyNewsLive: “The UK’s doing this dance… on the one side it wants to align itself with the United States and on the other side it also wants to align itself with Europe.
“There’s always the threat that there is going to be one event or series of events that are played out into the real world that will unpick that attempt to weave a kind of balancing act.”
Sir Keir has been criticised by some for only allowing the US to use British bases for defensive operations, as he does not believe the US-Israeli war is justified under international law.
Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, said: “At a time when Britain needs strong and decisive leadership, we have a prime minister who is too afraid to make any decision at all.”
She said she supported the actions of the US and Israel, but had not called for the UK to join offensive operations.
She said: “I said that we support their actions. I never said we should join.”
On the defence of British bases in the region, she said: “I did say that where British bases are being attacked, we should do more than catch the arrows. We should stop the people who are attacking us.”
Dr Hill said on this criticism: “They [opposition politicians] are playing the role exactly what their political space is structured to do… which is to discuss alternatives.
He continued: “They’re playing the exactly the role an opposition should play, which is to critique the government.”
There is always the potential for the UK to get dragged into offensive operations in Iran, but for now, Sir Keir is not giving into pressure from the US president to get fully involved.
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