Newslinks for Monday 2nd March 2026

RAF base in Cyrpus hit by drone strike after Starmer U-turn on military bases

“An RAF airbase in Cyprus was struck by a “kamikaze” attack drone shortly after Britain gave the US permission to mount strikes against Iran from joint bases. Families of service personnel in Cyprus are being evacuated from RAF Akrotiri as a “precautionary measure”, the Ministry of Defence said. The suicide drone, of the type used extensively in Ukraine, hit the base late on Sunday evening although there was minimal damage. The attack took place around midnight local time. A defence source told The Times there was a “full assessment” underway to establish whether it was deliberate or not. Due to the time taken for the drone to reach RAF Akrotiri, the UK believes it was probably launched before Sir Keir Starmer announced he had given the green light to the US to mount airstrikes against Iran from joint bases. The prime minister said he had given the US permission to use Diego Garcia, a joint military base in the Indian Ocean, and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. He said that the move would allow the US to carry out airstrikes for a “limited defensive purpose”… Britain remains opposed to “offensive” attacks against Iranian targets. John Healey, the defence secretary, refused to say whether Britain supports the original airstrikes by Israel and the US.” – The Times

• Brit families evacuated from Cyprus RAF base & schools shut hours after Iranian drone attack as UK joins US blitz – The Sun
• Foreign Office plans emergency evacuation for Britons stuck in Middle East – Daily Telegraph
• Iran rejects Trump’s ultimatum and launches new strikes as F-15 fighter jet crashes over Kuwait and explosions rock Dubai, Doha and Cyprus – Daily Mail
• ‘Several’ US warplanes crash in Kuwait, but crews survive, officials say as video shows jet on fire in a tailspin – Daily Mail
• Britain at risk of terror attacks from Iran’s sleeper agents and militias – The i

Comment:

• The Iran crisis has Labour insiders asking if Rayner could really be PM – Anne McElvoy, The i
• I want a free Iran, but deep down I don’t trust Trump to do it – Matthew Syed, The Times
• Starmer denies U-turn claims after giving go-ahead for US to use UK military for strikes on Iran – Sky News
• Tell us, Trump, how this Iran operation ends – Max Hastings, The Times
• Has Britain – once a major player in the Middle East – ever looked SO irrelevant on the world stage? – Stephen Glover, Daily Mail
• Cowardly Starmer simply isn’t cut out to lead Britain – there are 2 very pressing reasons why he must go now – Rod Liddle, The Sun

> Today:

> Yesterday:

Channel migrant crossings hit record levels this year as authorities struggle to cope with surge

“The number of migrants crossing the Channel is up on this time last year. Figures show 2,209 made the perilous journey compared to 2,056 in the first two months of 2025. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to launch strict Danish-style immigration reforms that have cut asylum claims there to a 40-year low. But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said only leaving the European Convention on Human Rights will fix the problem by deporting “every illegal immigrant within a week of arrival”. He told The Sun: “This weak Labour Government cannot control our borders. Under Labour, channel crossings are getting worse. Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood lack the strength to do what is needed.”” – The Sun

• Britain to pay migrants ‘more than £3k’ to leave UK as Home Secretary faces 40-strong MP migration rebellion – LBC News
• Shabana Mahmood tells GB News she WOULD live next door to a migrant camp – GBNews
• Home Secretary will introduce stricter migrant rules today in crackdown that will see refugee status reviewed every 30 months – Daily Mail
• Mahmood: I come from a migrant family. But the system is broken – Daily Telegraph

Labour’s employment shake-up ‘makes Britain worse than France’

“Labour is making Britain’s employment law “worse than France” with new workers’ rights that put bankers and lawyers in line for unlimited payouts if they win unfair dismissal claims. In a series of private meetings last month, business leaders warned the Government that multinational companies will shun Britain if new laws championed by Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, come into force. Angry City bosses told officials at the Department for Business and Trade that scrapping a compensation cap on successful claims will make Britain less competitive than European countries such as France, Spain and Italy. At one meeting between government officials arranged by lobby group TheCityUK, several attendees highlighted that the UK was moving in the “180-degree opposite direction to what our competitors have done” on the Continent. The meeting – which was attended by legal and human resources executives at a number of Magic Circle law firms and City giants – stressed that it would leave Britain in a less competitive position than countries such as France, which is known for its onerous labour code. “We will end up with worse labour laws than France,” said one person at the meeting. “And that’s really saying something.”” – Daily Telegraph

• Executives’ mood sours on economy as consumers cut spending – The Times
• Economy could unlock £11bn GDP boost if Labour tackles ‘rising female unemployment’ – GBNews
• Soaring numbers of jobless young women costing economy billions – report – The Independent

Comment:

• Reeves has powerful reasons to resist pressure to spend – Roger Bootle, Daily Telegraph
• Reeves should cut alcohol duty and watch the money roll in – Matthew Lynn, Daily Telegraph

> Today:

News in brief:

• International law should not prevent regime change in Iran – Stephen Daisley, The Spectator
• The Iran war makes it official – America is breaking with Europe – Freddie Hayward, The New Statesman
• Starmer’s perfect storm: The rot in Labour runs deep – Helen Thompson, UnHerd
• Trump goes to war – Peter Caddick-Adams, The Critic