Ed Davey has commented on the US attacks on Iran:
Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a grave threat to regional stability and global security. That threat can only truly be eliminated through robust diplomacy.
Following the US strikes, it is essential that we work to deescalate the conflict and achieve that diplomatic solution.
Do you think this is the right approach? Should he be more vocal in opposition to Trump’s actions?
let us know your views in the comments.
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25 Comments
Given that the actions of the UK Government are outside our Party’s control (given Labour’s majority), I think Ed Davey has got the tone about right.
The UK government should have nothing to do with the bellicose actions of Israel, Iran and the USA. Everyone knows, deep down, that issues like this can only be solved by diplomacy. How many more must die before Iran, Israel and the USA sit down together and talk long term peace?
Agree with Mick Taylor.
While I will shed no tears for Iran, Britain should stay out unless our allies in the region( Jordan and Gulf states) are effected. We must concentrate still on Ukraine. However that could change if Straits of Hormuz close.
Yet another example of our leadership’s growing political cowardice.
There was a time when it would have been unconscionable for a Lib Dem leader not to vociferously criticise the US for doing something like this and our own government for it’s acquiescence!
Right now Starmer is straight up gaslighting Iran by asking them to “return” to the negotiating table. Even though it was their very presence at the negotiating table that brought this war upon them, since a negotiated solution would have seen the US lift it’s sanctions which Isreal didn’t want.
@Mohammed Amin
That is a shocking thing for an opposition parliamentarian to say. The entire point of an opposition party is to OPPOSE the Government and spell out what we would do differently if we were in power. Why should anyone vote for us if we are unwilling to do that?
@David Le Grice
“The entire point of an opposition party is to OPPOSE the Government and spell out what we would do differently if we were in power.”
Are you saying our parliamentarians should vote against the government even if we think – in some particular situation – the government is right?
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Trying to effect regime change from outside is nearly always wrong, but in this case it seems the Iranian people want it. The current regime might survive if they can negotiate peace, but not if the bombing goes on for much longer, so maybe a diplomatic solution isn’t such a good idea in this case.
@ Tim Roger’s, “while I shed no tears for Iran”. I’m sorry you said that. I feel for the innocent Iranian civilians who will undoubtedly suffer from this awful business.
“Should he be more vocal in opposition to Trump’s actions?”
He’s not expressing any opposition at all!
So, yes, saying that Trump’s action was, at the very least, ‘unwise’ would be a considerable improvement.
Diplomatic solution – is this a joke ?
How can anyone trust any diplomatic outcome or agreement given the military attacks over recent weeks on Iran. The arrogance of Israel and the US is breathtaking, all the while being backed by Western governments and oppostions spouting the normal pr nonsense.
When Ed opposed Trump he was right. NOW Iran will no longer negotiate. israel is running out of interceptors. This article suggests Iran has only 2,000 ballistic missiles left. My Iranian friend suggests it is a far higher number.
https://ijr.com/can-israels-missile-defenses-outlast-iranian-barrages/
The United States’ war against Iran neither conforms to International Law nor to just war theory and should be strongly condemned by all.
How can you negotiate with Trump? He can change his mind, and back again, mid-sentence..
Israel, who deliberately started this war to sideline their Gaza genocide, has no intention of negotiating as long as they can count on unquestioning military support from the USA..
Iran didn’t have ambitions for nuclear weapons whereas Israel already has them. The biggest threat to Middle East stability is Israel, and supporting the illegal bombing of Iran is supporting the further destabilisation of the Middle East. It looks like my vote is going to be going to the Greens.
@Andy Daer: It’s unlikely that any replacement regime (and it almost certainly would deserve that epithet) resulting from Trump’s war effort would be any more palatable to the people of Iran than the present one. Trump does not care in the slightest about the Iranian people (whom he has banned form entering the US, presumably including refugees and dissidents), nor is he bothered in principle about the repressive nature of its regime. Look how he cosies up to the even more repressive Saudi regime.
Ed Davey, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a grave threat to regional stability and global security. That threat can only truly be eliminated through robust diplomacy.
“Following the US strikes, it is essential that we work to deescalate the conflict and achieve that diplomatic solution”
Dear Ed, “WHAT STABILITY?” Yet again, no mention. let alone condemnation, of Israel.. As for, ‘deescalate the conflict’; words fail me..
Remembering this party’s absolute condemnation of the Iraq ‘adventure’, I think I’ll follow Mike Fleming’s voting advice..
@ expats Really, Expats ?
Are you not reassured by our Leader Sir Ed’s statement as published on the BBC News website yesterday ? To quote in full :
“New soldiers should be offered a £10,000 bonus to rapidly boost troop numbers to deal with an increasingly unpredictable world, the Lib Dems have said. The government should also distribute pamphlets to make sure every British home is “war-ready” and able to deal with blackouts and chaos caused by the outbreak of conflict or cyber-attacks, Lib Dem Leader Sir Ed Davey said.
The Lib Dems claim the plans will “urgently” boost to the number of trained soldiers from just under 71,000, external to more than 73,000. In the face of a “barbaric” Russian President Vladimir Putin and an “erratic” US President Donald Trump, Sir Ed said the UK must be better prepared.”
As someone who can just about remember black out curtains in the last big lot, I can imagine Putin is worried at the prospect of 2,000 extra British troops plus a Focus type leaflet through every letterbox advising on blackouts.
I’m sorry to say I think this is very poor. The lack of context is everything.
While it’s technically true that it would be beneficial to de-escalate and achieve a diplomatic solution and it is probably true that the threat of Iran’s nuclear ambitions can only be achieved by diplomacy, we can’t ignore that Israel’s attack was clearly intended to prevent a diplomatic solution. Israel targeted and killed members of Iran’s negotiating team. Does anyone seriously believe that even if military action was required, it couldn’t have waited three days to at least be seen to give the scheduled talks a chance?
The Obama-negotiated JCPOA was working to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, it turbo-charged Iran’s funding of genocidal militias throughout the region, but it was achieving its intended purpose. If we were serious about diplomacy, that issue could have been put on the agenda too.
Israel’s and the US’s actions may or may not reduce the threat of Iranian nukes in the short term, but they are clearly illegal, clearly undermine proliferation efforts more generally and perfectly encapsulate the western double-standards that apply to Israel (which is continued to be permitted to exterminate Palestinians in Gaza and to kill and colonise the West Bank).
David Raw 23rd Jun ’25 – 10:58am…
David, It’s amazing how inflation has affected the ‘King’s Shilling’..
Moreover, in keeping with tradition, perhaps the £10k cheque could be concealed in the pamphlet to trap the unwary..
Very well said, Ed
I think Ed should have been more clearly opposed to the actions of Trump and Israel. The idea of regime change by military force began in recent practice by the war against Iraq, which our party rightly opposed. Then what about all the 20th century efforts to solve problems by international agreement (even if it is only a majority of nations) rather than outright war? The lack of opposition to what Israel, USA (and Iran) are doing undermines our party’s values of internationalism. Ed should also remind people of the evil actions of Israel in Gaza, which have long gone way beyond self-defense so that even saying we support Israel in that regard misses the truth. Likewise if we wish say we desire regime change in Iran, then we want regime change in Israel too.
@Nigel Jones 24th Jun ’25 – 11:17am….”. Likewise if we wish say we desire regime change in Iran, then we want regime change in Israel too.”
Not much chance of outside pressure from Jewish organisations for regime change when five members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (the biggest British Jewish body) have just been suspended for 2 years for daring to criticise Israel’s actions in Gaza and it’s support for Jewish settler violence in the West Bank.. These democratically elected representatives of Board of Deputies were among 36 signatories of open letter objecting to Israel’s ongoing actions in the Gaza Strip and West bank.
Their letter said “Israel’s soul is being ripped out” by military action that renewed in March, and that the signatories could no longer “turn a blind eye or remain silent” on the issue..”We write as representatives of the British Jewish community, out of love for Israel and deep concern for its future”.
Statements from the Board of Deputies issued since the war began have been broadly supportive of the Israeli government’s actions.
The board unanimously declared that the letter, “Misrepresented the position of the board and brought the institution into disrepute”. The board’s executive body decided to send a “notice of criticism” to 31 of the 36 signatories but five deputies have been suspended from the board for two years and, where applicable, removed from elected positions..
Michael Wegier, its chief executive, said: “We are a democratic organisation that welcomes debate, diversity and free speech……..Hmmmm?
Why is Ed so timid?
Both Israel and the US have broken international law. He should be condemning them for that, and demanding that we stop selling weapons to Israel.
I share Geoffrey Payne’s concern about our leader, but to paint a full picture there is an early day motion from Ed and many other LibDem MPs, which, amongst other things calls for ending arms sales to Israel.