Middle East crisis: David Cameron says Britain could strike Houthis in Yemen again
Britain could strike Houthi targets in Yemen again if the rebel group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, the foreign secretary has suggested.
Lord Cameron warned the Iran-linked fighters could force up prices in Britain if they are allowed to block the passage of container ships in the busy trade route.
The US struck another site in Yemen early on Saturday after the Houthis vowed revenge for the bombing raid carried out by the Americans and the RAF a day earlier.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Cameron said the joint action “will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing”.
Middle East crisis – latest: Footage shows moment RAF jet strikes targets in Yemen
He argued that not acting would be accepting that Houthi attacks could “virtually shut a vital sea lane with relative impunity”.
“If the Houthis deny this passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe.”
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Satellite pictures show Yemen strikes
Lord Cameron said the airstrikes “sent an unambiguous message” to the Houthis that “we are determined to put a stop” to their Red Sea attacks.
And he hinted that Britain could join the US in striking the Houthis again if they continue.
“We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions,” he said.
Read more from Sky News:
Why have the UK and US launched strikes on Yemen and who are the Houthis?
Strikes against Houthis draw Britain and America closer to Iran confrontation
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer defended his support for the strikes, which Rishi Sunak ordered without first consulting parliament, as prime ministers sometimes do before military interventions.
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This was ‘message to Iran’ as well, says Lord Cameron
Writing for the Independent, the Labour leader argued that “protecting trade, security and lives are paramount to our national interest”.
He said the prime minister “must make a full statement” to the Commons when it returns on Monday, but stressed the need for swift military action.
Sir Keir was facing some criticism from the left over his support for the strikes.
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Diane Abbott, who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow home secretary but now sits as an independent, said: “In 2020 Keir Starmer said no more illegal wars.
“He said that he would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and parliament gave consent.
“The current military action on Yemen has none of these yet he supports it.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Mail On Sunday the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea show the world is “becoming more challenging” and is “probably the most unstable it has been in decades”.
“It is also more complex. My job is to make sure the British people are safe. Can we afford to do these things? We can’t afford not to,” he added.
Lord Cameron will be appearing on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday Morning programme from 8.30am.
Politics
Chancellor’s Mansion House speech vows to rip up red tape – saying post-financial crash rules went ‘too far’
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has criticised post-financial crash regulation, saying it has “gone too far” – setting a course for cutting red tape in her first speech to Britain’s most important gathering of financiers and business leaders.
Increased rules on lenders that followed the 2008 crisis have had “unintended consequences”, Ms Reeves will say in her Mansion House address to industry and the City of London’s lord mayor.
“The UK has been regulating for risk, but not regulating for growth,” she will say.
It cannot be taken for granted that the UK will remain a global financial centre, she is expected to add.
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It’s anticipated Ms Reeves will on Thursday announce “growth-focused remits” for financial regulators and next year publish the first strategy for financial services growth and competitiveness.
Rachel Reeves
Bank governor to point out ‘consequences’ of Brexit
Also at the Mansion House dinner the governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey will say the UK economy is bigger than we think because we’re not measuring it properly.
A new measure to be used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – which will include the value of data – will probably be “worth a per cent or two on GDP”. GDP is a key way of tracking economic growth and counts the value of everything produced.
Brexit has reduced the level of goods coming into the UK, Mr Bailey will also say, and the government must be alert to and welcome opportunities to rebuild relations.
Mr Bailey will caveat he takes no position on “Brexit per se” but does have to point out its consequences.
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Bailey: Inflation expected to rise
In what appears to be a reference to the debate around UK immigration policy, Mr Bailey will also say the UK’s ageing population means there are fewer workers, which should be included in the discussion.
The greying labour force “makes the productivity and investment issue all the more important”.
“I will also say this: when we think about broad policy on labour supply, the economic arguments must feature in the debate,” he’s due to add.
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The exact numbers of people at work are unknown in part due to fewer people answering the phone when the ONS call.
Mr Bailey described this as “a substantial problem”.
He will say: “I do struggle to explain when my fellow [central bank] governors ask me why the British are particularly bad at this. The Bank, alongside other users, including the Treasury, continue to engage with the ONS on efforts to tackle these problems and improve the quality of UK labour market data.”
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The proposed legislation would allow the State of Pennsylvania’s Treasurer to invest up to 10% of its funds in Bitcoin, suggesting a multibillion-dollar investment.
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