I welcome the ongoing ceasefire and we hope a sustainable end to the conflict can be found. However, it is incredibly fragile and these are still challenging days. The details are critical and I await proposals to address the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear threat, as well as Britain’s involvement and that of the E3 powers.
My colleagues and I said at the outset that we stood with the US and Israel in dealing with the unacceptable threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear programme, like Canada and Australia. This Islamist Regime must never be able to obtain nuclear weapons; it would be an existential threat to the world.
The Iranian regime poses an ongoing, significant threat to the UK and our allies. It has attacked British citizens, brutally repressed its own citizens, sponsored international terrorism and conducted assassination plots on British soil. The regime poses an intolerable threat to the Middle East, the world and even their own people; from their nuclear programme to their ballistic missiles and hostile interference, while they have murdered a generation of freedom seekers in Iran in recent weeks.
Mims Davies MP Statement on Iran | Mims Davies
With Iran posing such significant threats, the UK needs to show strong leadership to protect British nationals, safeguard our interests and support our friends, allies and regional partners. I pay great tribute to our Armed Forces who are engaged in defensive operations and consular staff supporting the quarter of a million British nationals affected in the region. However, with missiles and drones from the Islamic Republic of Iran attacking civilian and military targets in the region and British interests under threat, it is clear the Labour Government was not prepared for this situation.
The Prime Minister, who is responsible for national security and defence, did not do nearly enough to ensure sufficient military assets were in place in the region to support defensive operations and it is disappointing to see the UK has had to rely upon our allies in the region, who themselves are under attack from the Iranian regime, to protect our citizens.
Keir Starmer’s weak leadership has now, regrettably, undermined our relationship with our allies and provoked countries ranging from Bahrain and the UAE to Cyprus who have all been under attack, to express their disappointment about the British Government’s lack of support when they required our assistance. Cyprus was so alarmed by Starmer’s lack of action, it has requested ships from other countries as Starmer acted far too slowly to deploy HMS Dragon.
My Conservative colleagues, including the Leader of the Opposition, the Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Defence Secretary, have all questioned the Government about its approach. They have pressed for more robust action to be taken to protect our interests and to invest more resources in our defensive capabilities and Armed Forces.
This UK Labour Government must now use its influence and our extensive skills and capabilities to support our allies and protect British interests in the region. In addition, the Government must act now to stop the Iranian regime’s malign activities on British soil. My colleagues have made clear that we will support the Government if Ministers brings forward legislation to fast-track proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian militia that has conducted assassination attempts in Britain and so brutally suppressed Iranians. Ministers should also tighten sanctions to stop the Islamist regime’s blood money entering our country. To do this, the Prime Minister must face down his critics in his own Party and put the national security of our country first.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, we do urgently need to get back to the type of status quo we had before this war - where passage through this international waterway was conducted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and required no permission from the Iranian Armed Forces. The Iranian regime’s reckless attacks on international shipping have been illegal and entirely unacceptable.
As I understand it, the US is currently trying to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran for that reason - but this is a very fast-moving situation, there are ongoing mediation efforts and I do not know how long this will last. I do appreciate the US trying to establish a mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz and my colleagues have suggested ways that the UK could potentially support these efforts.
The previous Conservative Government developed significant uncrewed mine clearing capabilities and my Party would support these capabilities being deployed to the Strait if Service Chiefs were to determine it operationally appropriate. At the very least, the Government needs to move from exploring new sanctions to threatening very hard-hitting new sanctions if open access is not immediately restored.
While I do agree some of the President's recent social media posts and comments to the press have been dismaying, I firmly believe the Islamic Republic of Iran should take the off-ramps being offered by the US, deescalate and stop its appalling behaviour that for decades has threatened peace in the Middle East and the world more widely.
I’m sure constituents will appreciate I am in Opposition and do not have access to intelligence on the exact state of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear programme and its capabilities but, clearly, whatever remains of the existing programme must be dismantled, the enriched uranium they currently has must be removed and significant lessons must be learned from where the Islamist regime repeatedly exploited the 2015 agreement.
I understand there may be negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, and I will of course follow any developments extremely closely on behalf of my constituents. Ultimately, we all want to see UN Security Council Resolution 1701 finally fully implemented, including the disarmament of Hezbollah. My colleagues have been pushing the Government on what they are doing to support the disarming of Hezbollah and on what Britain can contribute to practical efforts to see UN Security Council Resolution 1701 fully implemented.
We have ended up in the current situation because Hezbollah - a terrorist organisation backed by Iran - has not disarmed since the 2024 Israel/Lebanon ceasefire agreement. Hezbollah continues to cause terrible hardship in Lebanon and Israel and has attacked Israel with rocket fire in recent weeks so I recognise Israel's right to self-defence.
Unlike the Iranian regime or its proxy militias throughout the region, US forces do not indiscriminately or deliberately target civilians and I expect our allies to observe the highest standards of soldiering at all times. I understand the Pentagon is currently investigating the tragic incident at Shajareh Tayyebeh School but as a British MP and a member of the Opposition, I do not have access to additional information relating to this investigation.
The United States is still our most important ally and our ties with the US go beyond the political. The friendship between our peoples is profound and deep-rooted, manifesting in millions of interactions every day – from over £300 billion in trade and co-operation on defence and security, to shared cultural values and a commitment to prosperity and freedom.
Part of this relationship involves working on programmes that mutually support our security. The F-35 – a joint coalition platform - is an example of this mutual support. F-35s provide the RAF with an important capability for our national security and this aircraft is also an essential part of a number of our NATO allies’ Armed Forces. Considering this and the significant threat the Iranian regime poses to Britain and our allies, I continue to support the UK's role in the F-35 programme. British companies producing military or dual-use items are already required to comply with regulations around exporting their goods. These regulations include human rights and international humanitarian law considerations.
This conflict has been, yet another, hugely stark reminder of why we need a much stronger economy at home both to weather external energy shocks and to fund defence properly. It is clear now that Britain must spend three per cent of GDP defence by the end of this Parliament and the Government must urgently publish its long-delayed Defence Investment Plan. Plus, we need stronger UK energy security too. That is clear.
While British households are paying more at the pump, the Labour Government dithers and delays over North Sea oil and gas. The Government must get Britain drilling now and cut energy bills to help families. The Chancellor should axe the Government's Fuel Duty tax hike, get Britain drilling and adopt my Conservative colleagues’ Cheap Power Plan to cut bills by £200 and make Britain more energy secure.
Mims Davies Statement on Energy - Extended Oil and Gas | Mims Davies
In these uncertain times, we need decisive leadership to make Britain more resilient and self-sufficient, one which puts our national interest first…
Please do be assured that my Conservative colleagues and I will continue to stand up for our national interests and defence, and challenge the Government to go further to protect us from the threats from Iran. Rest assured, I will continue to closely follow further developments and keep you updated.
