Nigel Farage erupted after it emerged that France is sending a warship to defend a British navy base from Iran. Paris plans to dispatch a frigate in addition to air defence techniques to Cyprus after RAF Akrotiri was hit by a drone.
The Reform UK chief accused each Sir Keir Starmer and the earlier Tory authorities of getting “failed” in terms of defending Britain. In a submit on X, he mentioned: “This is what Labour and the Tories have reduced us to. Defence of the realm is the first duty of any government. They have both failed at this task miserably.”
It comes because the UK is contemplating sending a warship to the Middle East amid the battle which erupted over the weekend when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge mentioned HMS Duncan ought to “go now” as a result of “we need the highly capable air defence it provides to protect RAF Akrotiri”.
He added: “It begs the question: why wasn’t she already there?”
However, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper instructed the Commons that the Government has already added to the air defences in Cyprus.
She mentioned: “We have already increased the deployment, with additional defensive capabilities, including radar, F-35 jets, air defence, and counter-drone systems.”
Downing Street refused to touch upon different international locations when requested if the prospect of France sending warships to the area to defend the UK’s base was embarrassing.
The prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned: “I think we have set out multiple times the assets, the capabilities that we have deployed defensively to the region and that includes radar systems, air defence and F-35 jets.
“That is a major stage of defensive functionality to our bases in Cyprus.”
Sir Keir Starmer granted permission on Sunday for the US to use British bases for “defensive” strikes on Iran’s missile websites after initially refusing to.
A drone hit RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign air base on the island, on Sunday hours earlier than the PM’s announcement.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2177743/nigel-farage-france-warship-cyprus