𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being “all talk and no trousers” by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch after flying to the Middle East to discuss shoring up a fragile ceasefire in the Gulf. The Prime Minister travelled on Tuesday with the stated aim of helping “uphold the ceasefire” between the US, Israel and Iran. But Kemi Badenoch warned his intervention risks ringing hollow while Britain’s armed forces remain without a clear plan for rearmament.

Sir Keir met air crew in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as part of his visit, with the Government saying Britain can play a role in maintaining stability in the region, including keeping the vital Strait of Hormuz open. However, the absence of a long-promised Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has prompted criticism from the Conservatives. The blueprint — intended to set out how the UK will procure weapons, rebuild stockpiles and strengthen military capability — was due last autumn but has yet to materialise.

Without it, senior Tories argue, the Government’s wider strategic defence review lacks substance. Ms Badenoch said the delay amounted to a “national scandal”, adding that Sir Keir “has no backbone” to take the tough decisions needed to fund Britain’s military.

Ms Badenoch said: “When it comes to defence, the Prime Minister is ‘all talk and no trousers’. He talks tough on the world stage, but he refuses to take the difficult decisions needed to back that up.”

The Middle East remains volatile despite the ceasefire, while war continues in Ukraine, placing growing strain on Western militaries. Against that backdrop, critics warn Britain risks falling behind allies in rearmament. Sir Keir has pledged to increase defence spending to 3 % of GDP, but divisions within Labour over how to fund that ambition have slowed progress. According to opposition figures, the Prime Minister has failed to confront backbench resistance to potential welfare cuts needed to pay for it.

Writing in The Telegraph, Ms Badenoch said the Government had “quietly kicked” the defence plan “into the long grass” rather than face those choices.

She has proposed reinstating the two-child benefit cap and redirecting billions from net zero and research spending into a new sovereign defence fund, arguing that “rearmament is not cost-free” and requires political courage.

The Conservative leader also offered cross-party support to push through spending cuts to fund defence, saying the issue was “bigger than politics”.

Ms Badenoch wrote: “The longer the Defence Investment Plan is delayed, the clearer the reality becomes. Britain is not yet rearming. We are simply talking about it.”

Downing Street has not indicated when the plan will be published. However, the pressure on Sir Keir is mounting as Donald Trump intensifies his attacks on NATO. The US President remains a particular source of frustration for Sir Keir, especially as the UK attempts to lead a post-conflict security plan for the Strait of Hormuz. Following a meeting with NATO’s Mark Rutte, Mr Trump issued a social media post saying: “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM.”