Starmer denies backtracking on military action vote

Sir Keir Starmer has denied changing his position on whether the government has to give MPs a vote on any plans by the UK to take military action.

He told the BBC on Sunday a vote was only needed when “deploying troops”.

During his leadership campaign Sir Keir had pledged to create a law requiring “the consent of the Commons” for military action.

Speaking on Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Sir Keir said action had to be taken against Houthi targets because “sitting back and doing nothing” would not have been appropriate.

Downing Street briefed Sir Keir shortly before the operation on Thursday. He said he backed the air strikes but wants ministers to make a detailed Commons statement on Monday, as is planned.

The Houthis are a political and military group controlling a large part of Yemen. Backed by Iran, members claim they target any ship travelling to or owned by Israel.

They have carried out at least 27 attacks since 19 November, according to the US, and have launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.

The group’s attacks on cargo ships – some of which have no clear connection to Israel – have led major shipping companies to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, instead taking a longer route around southern Africa.

Sir Keir told the BBC Labour would need to consider the arguments if the UK plans further attacks in Yemen and he would expect to be briefed by the government.

While campaigning to take over from Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in 2020, Sir Keir said he wanted a new law “that said military action could be taken if first the lawful case for it was made, secondly there was a viable objective and thirdly you got the consent of the Commons”.

This would enshrine in law the principle that UK military action should be voted on and approved by parliament,

But Sir Keir insisted there was “no inconsistency” between his previous comments and his support for the air strikes in Yemen, telling the programme that there is a difference between this action on Houthi targets and “sustained” military action.

Separately pressed on whether he had changed a commitment to stop the UK selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, Sir Keir said he supported a review into all UK arms sales which will “make clear” what his party’s position is.

The Labour leader argued his party is different now from the one he ran to lead in 2020.

The deaths show “we need to stop these Channel crossings”, he said.

Rejecting the “gimmick” of the Rwanda scheme, he talked about the prosecution of gangs as Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Having seen this done for terrorist gangs, with guns and with drugs I refuse to believe we can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Elsewhere in a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, Sir Keir said he still backed Labour’s key pledge to invest £28bn in green projects “by the second half of the Parliament” if elected.

But Sir Keir said Labour wanted the UK to run on 100% clean power by 2030 as it “gives us cheaper bills, and it gives us energy security so Putin can’t put his boot on our throat.”

The investment depends on a number of caveats. Labour has committed to reducing government debt within five years, and any investment would be “subject to what the government has already assigned to put in on green prosperity”.

Chief secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott accused Sir Keir of not “having a plan to pay” for the investment.

“That means one thing – thousands of pounds in higher taxes for hard-working people,” she said.