Ed Miliband emerged as the driving force behind Cabinet resistance to American military action in Iran, marshalling senior colleagues to block British involvement before Sir Keir Starmer dramatically reversed course within two days, according to insiders.
It is being reported that the Energy Secretary brought together Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper at a National Security Council meeting on Friday, where the three ministers mounted a concerted push against any UK support for pre-emptive strikes — a position they regarded as legally indefensible.
Starmer stood with them, turning away Washington’s demand for access to RAF bases in Gloucestershire and the Chagos Islands.
However, that stance lasted less than 48 hours. B-2 stealth bombers are now expected at Diego Garcia in the coming days, cleared to conduct what Downing Street is calling “limited, defensive” missions against Iranian targets.
Miliband’s Opposition
The Friday NSC gathering had been called to examine the conflict’s potential consequences for British energy supplies, but it appears to have become the flashpoint for a deeper Cabinet argument about the legality and wisdom of siding with Washington.
