In recent years, during moments of international conflict, we’ve become used to the main British political parties calling something of a truce – largely holding off on the partisan attacks for a moment of unity in the name of the national interest.
That’s not been the case this time. The week has seen political hand grenades flying back and forth from both the Conservatives and Labour.
From the outset, the Tories have been heavily critical of what they describe as a “weak” response from the government to the Iran war – from the decision not to support the initial US/Israeli strikes, to the “slow” deployment of reinforcements to the region.
But Labour are hitting back – demanding an apology from Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, for comments she made yesterday about RAF jets “just hanging around”, claiming that without action to reduce Iran’s capability to fire at British bases, the UK is just “catching arrows”.
Iran war latest: Donald Trump says Iran will be ‘hit very hard’
The party has pushed out clips of that interview on social media – framing her words as an attack on “our brave RAF pilots” who have been in the skies shooting down Iranian drones.
Defence Secretary John Healey said she had insulted the British military.
Unsurprisingly, Badenoch is refusing to accept this characterisation – and certainly isn’t apologising.
Instead, she’s back on the attack, telling reporters it’s a “disgrace that rather than get a grip and get HMS Dragon out of Portsmouth, our defence secretary is busy criticising me and trying to make it look like I’m criticising our troops. I would never do that”.
She added: “Our troops are brave…
