Labour MPs Criticise Starmer Over Trumps Venezuela Action

Labour MPs are furious over Keir Starmer’s lacklustre response to Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela.

The US president initiated strikes against the South American country in the early hours of Saturday, while his troops seized Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

They have been indicted on narco-terrorism charges in New York.

Trump has since claimed he is going to “run” Venezuela and send in American oil companies to revitalise its huge fossil fuel reserves.

The UK prime minister – who formerly sat as director of public prosecutions – has so far refused to condemn these moves as a breach of international law.

In a statement released on Saturday, he said: “The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.

“I reiterated my support for international law this morning.

“The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

But many within Starmer’s own party are not happy with his hesitant approach.

As chair of the Foreign Affairs Select committee, Labour MP Emily Thornberry said she was “shocked” to see what had happened.

Speaking to the BBC’s Westminster Hour, she said the weekend’s events add to “this growing fear that Trump thinks – and so does Putin and so does Xi – that they should all have their spheres of influence and other countries should not get involved.”

“It sets a terrible precedent, [it’s] really worrying,” she noted, adding: “I don’t think anyone sheds any tears for Manduro’s removal, he didn’t win the last election, he shouldn’t have been there and I do understand that, and we want a peaceful transition to a better democracy.

“But that’s not an excuse for grabbing him and putting him on trial in a domestic court.”

Asked if Starmer should have said it breached international law, she said: “I’m in a different position, I’m not in government. I can basically say it as it is.

“There are a number of considerations that Keir Starmer has to weigh up, but in the end, there is no getting away from it.

“This is not a legal action. He may well want to hear what the justification is from the American government, I can get in front of that and say I literally cannot think of anything that could be a proper justification.

“I think it is important that we make it clear that this is unacceptable. I think that what we need to do is to do that with our friends.”

Thornberry suggested Starmer works with the Europeans to “collectively” say this is an unacceptable breach of international law.

“We cannot have law of the jungle, we cannot allow this to happen because it threatens all of us, particularly medium-sized countries like ours,” the MP said.

Thornberry also pointed out that Vladimir Putin was condemned for his aggression against Ukraine, so Trump must be, too.

She concluded: “People can’t just do whatever they want. We really can’t have international anarchy, it doesn’t do anybody any good, and it doesn’t do Britain any good.”

Another senior Labour MP told HuffPost UK the government’s response was “just gutless”.

They added: “Supporter of the rules based order except when it might offend someone Keir wants to keep on side.”

Meanwhile, backbencher Richard Burgon wrote on X: “We’re in a new era of US gangster politics.”

Responding directly to Starmer’s reaction, he said: “A shameful and reckless statement from the prime minister. International law is being cast aside to appease Donald Trump.

“The world will see this hypocrisy for exactly what it is.”

Fellow backbencher John McDonnell also criticised the government, noting: “When you listen to the prevarication of Keir Starmer and his ministers on a basic point of international law we need to be ruthlessly honest and recognise that effectively our country has been rendered up as a Trump colony.”

Meanwhile, MP for Norwich South Clive Lewis said: “Trump has launched an illegal act of aggression against Venezuela.

“A clear breach of the Nuremberg principles – which the UK helped write. Now a Lab government won’t even defend them. This silence isn’t diplomacy. It’s the moral equivalent of a white flag.”