Labour leader distances himself from Jeremy Corbyn’s Nato stance and pledges continued military support for Ukraine
Daniel Martin, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR
21 December 2023 •
Russia is a “real and constant” threat to Europe, Sir Keir Starmer has declared as he sought to distance himself from Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party.
Wearing army fatigues, the Labour leader visited soldiers stationed in Estonia to stress his party’s commitment to Nato – the defence organisation Mr Corbyn wanted to leave.
As well as the military threat from Putin’s actions, underlined by the war in Ukraine, there was also the risk of other forms of “interference” by the Russian state.
Sir Keir said the UK and its allies “need to be prepared, we need to deter” in response to Moscow’s actions.
The Labour leader said: “I think we have to be mindful of that threat from Russia to Europe, to ourselves in the UK and the interference that goes on.”
He said there was a “real and constant threat from Russia, measured in years, and measured back home in the UK as well”.
‘We will stand with Ukraine’
Sir Keir, accompanied by John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, visited the troops in the Estonian snow.
The Labour leader has been at pains to highlight the policy shift from his hard-Left predecessor Mr Corbyn, who has suggested that defence alliances such as Nato should ultimately be disbanded.
Sir Keir and Mr Healey used the visit to praise British military personnel for helping to protect Nato’s eastern flank.
The pair were expected to observe military exercises before joining troops in the canteen over lunch.
Ahead of the visit, Mr Healey said: “We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win. We stand ready to back further assistance to Ukraine and our Nato allies like Estonia.”
Amid signs of war fatigue among Ukraine’s Western allies, Labour has heaped pressure on Rishi Sunak’s Government to reveal the UK’s plans for future military aid for Kyiv.
The UK gave £4.6 billion of military aid to Ukraine across 2022 and 2023.
So, why is this important?
Because the UK is Ukraine’s third biggest nation donor and Rishi has to call an election next year. Starmer is currently on course for a big win.
It means that the two big parties are in virtually full agreement on Ukraine.
The third party; The LibDems, supports Ukraine but is unreliable.
The far right putlerite party Reform UK is in fourth position with 10%. Its president is the execrable Trump bagman Nigel Farage.
Ukraine will not be a campaign issue in the UK as it is in the US, because the key players are broadly in agreement.
Starmer still has a Tankie bloc, led by the verminous JeremIRA CorbLenin. I don’t know what their strength is at the moment and no one can know if some new tankie arseholes will become Labour MP’s at the election.
Indeed, this is very important. Thanks for the info, Scradge.
That can’t have been all he said, there was nothing blaming the Conservatives.
The beginning of something useful? :
Putin is told to ‘go the front line yourself – and die’ by wives of mobilised Russian soldiers amid growing backlash over his Ukraine war:
https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12880243/amp/putin-line-die-russian-ukraine-war.html
Note that these skanks have no concern for Ukraine and Ukrainian people of fighting age: they are completely self-absorbed.
That’s what taking hard drugs and drinking undrinkable alcohol will do to your psych.
That is the general response from Belarus too, they think the war doesn’t affect them so they are indifferent to Ukrainians suffering and Moskali dying.