3/4/26 BBC. Let me also mention that the Conservative MP who savaged Starmer's failure was black.
Sir Keir said: "We're taking action to reduce the threat with planes in the sky in the region intercepting incoming strikes, deploying more capability to Cyprus, and allowing US planes to use UK bases to take out Iran's capability to strike.
"What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan. That remains my position."
The PM said the government had also been pre-deploying capabilities in the region for a number of weeks, including radar systems, ground-based air defence, counter-drone systems and F35 jets.
He added that wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities would be in Cyprus this week, with a Royal Navy warship, HMS Dragon, also deployed to the region.
However, Badenoch accused the PM of "catching arrows rather than stopping the archer" in his approach.
"I would say to Labour MPs, we are in this war whether they like it or not. What is the prime minister waiting for?" she added.
She pointed out HMS Dragon was still in Portsmouth and the government "should be doing more".
The Conservative leader also criticised the government for not investing more in defence....
A western official said that so far US bombers have not used the British bases of Diego Garcia or RAF Fairford - but said the UK was ready to accept them. The official said he expected them to arrive within the next few days.
Earlier, former Conservative Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he thought the prime minister had "made a big misjudgement" by not allowing the US to use British military bases for offensive strikes on Iran.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that international law was "not settled on this issue" and depended on whether there was an imminent risk of attack from Iran.
Hunt said the Americans had a significant role in defending Europe and in this situation, "to weaken our alliance with the United States was a big mistake".
"President Trump is not interested in that rules-based order," Hunt said.
"He's said so absolutely explicitly. And we have to recognise the brute strength of the American military is something we depend on now in Europe and will depend on for at least a decade."
Hunt is obviously part of the reality-based system.
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