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187 headlines found — Page 14 of 16

The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

UK ‘took far too long’ to let US use its airbases to attack Iran, Trump says

US president also ‘very disappointed’ in Keir Starmer over UK government’s deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius US-Israel war on Iran – live updates The UK “took far too long” to allow US forces to use its airbases to attack Iran, Donald Trump has said. The US president added that he was “very disappointed” in Keir Starmer over the British government’s deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as a means to preserve the status of the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia, part of

Defence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

RAF airbase in Cyprus hit as Cooper defends decision to allow US to use UK bases for Iran strikes – UK politics live

Foreign secretary confirms strike on Akrotiri base but says it ‘simply not true’ the UK is being dragged into an Iraq-style conflict ‘Simply not true’ UK is being dragged into Iraq-style conflict, says foreign secretary Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage. Just hours after Keir Starmer said that the UK has allowed the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone strike. Continue reading...

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

UK RAF airbase in Cyprus hit by drone strike

Officials believe drone was launched before PM agreed to let US use British military bases to attack Iran missile sites US-Israel war on Iran – live updates A one-way attack drone has struck the UK’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, prompting a partial evacuation of the base. Officials believe the drone, which hit at about midnight local time, was launched before Keir Starmer announced the UK would allow the US to use its airbases to bomb Iranian missile sites, but it had not yet been publicly det

Defence
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

Labour council accuses minister of ‘moral bankruptcy’ over social care dispute

Hartlepool leaders ‘furious and appalled’ after meeting with Steve Reed about growing cost of social care The housing, communities and local government secretary has been accused by a Labour council of showing “arrogance, indifference and moral bankruptcy” towards children in social care. In an unusually forthright attack, Labour leaders of Hartlepool council said they were “furious and appalled” at Steve Reed after a meeting with him last week. A cross-party delegation had asked the secretary o

DefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics2 Mar 2026

‘Simply not true’ UK is being dragged into Iraq-style conflict, says foreign secretary

Yvette Cooper says plans under consideration to evacuate about 300,000 Britons from Middle East amid Iran war US-Israel war on Iran – live updates It is “simply not true” that the UK is being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict in the Middle East, Yvette Cooper has said, after an RAF base in Cyprus was struck by an Iranian drone. The attack was part of a barrage of strikes by Tehran around the Middle East following a US-Israeli attack on Saturday that killed the country’s supreme leader,

Defence
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

UK to allow US to use British bases for defensive strikes against Iran

Keir Starmer says decision is due to Iran’s approach becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk The UK has agreed to let the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, Keir Starmer has said. The UK has so far not been involved in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, but in a recorded statement on Sunday evening, the prime minister said that Iran’s approach was becoming more reckless and putting British lives at risk, leading to the decision to allow the US to use UK

Defence
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

‘That resentment is real’: Mahmood’s Denmark visit aims to hammer home tough line on immigration

On tour of returns centre, home secretary says ‘legitimate grievances’ have to be acknowledged as part of ‘responsible’ politics Refugee status to be temporary as Shabana Mahmood rips up rules on UK asylum The UK home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and Danish immigration officials strode through the bleak and chilly Sjælsmark returns centre, a former military barracks used to house men and women who have no right to remain in the country. Followed by photographers, reporters and civil servants, M

PoliticsImmigrationDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

Foreign Office starts planning evacution of thousands of Britons in Middle East

About 76,000 nationals thought to be in the region as tensions rise after US-Israeli attacks on Iranian regime US-Israeli war on Iran: latest updates The Foreign Office is drawing up plans to evacuate tens of thousands of British citizens if war in the Middle East escalates, with many travellers currently stranded in Dubai. The government does not know how many British nationals are resident, on holiday or otherwise travelling across the Gulf, but it said 76,000 have so far registered their

DefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

Starmer faces greater quandary over ‘special relationship’ after Iran attack

PM is in diplomatically precarious position of declining to endorse US strikes while also refusing to condemn them US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates It was perhaps naive for No 10 ever to position Keir Starmer as a “Donald Trump whisperer” capable of persuading the unpredictable US president to step back from reckless decisions. The “special relationship” has been under severe strain in recent months over the UK’s decision to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, and the refusal of E

Defence
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions

Campaign groups write to technology secretary amid concerns that sites could double overall electricity demand Datacentre developers are facing pressure to reveal whether their projects will increase the UK’s net greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns the sites could double national electricity demand. Campaign groups have written to the UK technology secretary, Liz Kendall, warning that the energy required by new AI infrastructure poses a “serious threat to efforts to decarbonise the electrici

DefenceEnvironment
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

Few will mourn leader of ‘evil’ regime Ali Khamenei, says UK defence secretary

John Healey says there is ‘real and rising threat’ from Iran as US and Israeli military action divides political opinion US-Israel war on Iran – latest updates The UK defence secretary has said few will mourn Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, whose death was announced after US and Israeli airstrikes. John Healey, a senior cabinet minister, described the Iranian regime as “evil” and said it had menaced the west by sponsoring at least 20 terrorist plots to attack the UK as well as involvement

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics1 Mar 2026

Ex-minister adds to UK calls for ban on political donations in cryptocurrency

Exclusive: Labour’s Rushanara Ali plans to intervene in elections bill amid warnings of foreign interference A former Labour minister has added her voice to those of a growing list of experts and senior MPs calling for a ban on political donations in cryptocurrency as concerns grow over foreign interference in British elections. Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP who helped draft the elections bill when she was a minister in the communities department, called for the government to strengthen the legis

PoliticsDefence