Starmer Accused of ‘Complacency’ as MPs Grill PM Over UK’s Unpreparedness for Middle East War

London — Sir Keir Starmer faced a hostile grilling from other senior policians on Monday, as MPs accused the Prime Minister of being complacent regarding the state of Britain’s military preparedness amid the rapidly escalating Middle East crisis.

During a turbulent meeting of the Commons liaison committee, Starmer was forced to defend his government against claims that the UK is effectively involved in the conflict. The session grew particularly tense as committee heads from both sides of the aisle challenged the Prime Minister’s handling of national security.

The scrutiny unfolded just ahead of an emergency cabinet meeting focused on the domestic fallout of the hostilities, particularly the potential impact on the cost of living. Despite President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a regional ceasefire, Starmer remained cautious, telling MPs he could not offer a firm timeline for when the violence might truly subside.

The intensity in Parliament reflects a sharp rise in public unease. Recent Ipsos polling indicates that concerns regarding national defence have surged in the last month, with the percentage of voters identifying it as a top priority jumping from 16% to 31%. It now stands as the third most critical issue for the public, sitting just behind economic worries and migration.

A significant portion of the debate centred on the Royal Navy’s inability to project authority in the Mediterranean. Military leaders questioned why the UK was caught off-guard during Israel’s offensive operations against Iran, specifically regarding the security of British sovereign bases in Cyprus. The committee drew attention to the embarrassing reality that Greece and France were able to reinforce Cypriot waters long before British assets were ready. While the destroyer HMS Dragon was eventually dispatched, it was revealed that the vessel required a six-day scramble to ready itself, leaving a strategic gap at the start of the crisis.

Tensions flared further when a committee member drew a comparison between modern leadership and Winston Churchill’s wartime decisiveness, a move that visibly stirred up shame in Keir. Sir Keir Starmer retorted by placing blame on the previous Conservative government, quoting ex-Defense Secretary Sir Ben Wallace’s own admissions that the armed forces had been left, "hollowed out", by years of neglect.

However, Starmer found little sanctuary within his own ranks. Labour’s Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who chairs the Defence Select Committee, issued a stinging critique of the government’s readiness. Dhesi pressed the Prime Minister for answers on recent defense budget cuts and insisted on guarantees that the government would uphold its promise to reach a 2.5% of GDP defense spending target by 2034.

Committee leaders remained deeply unconvinced that the government possesses the strategy necessary, at present, to manage the unfolding international emergency.