Keir Starmer was on holiday in Spain when Donald Trump threatened to obliterate Iran

Oliver Partridge
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:19:33 +0000

Sir Keir Starmer was on an Easter holiday in Spain with his family when Donald Trump threatened to "obliterate the entire civilisation" of Iran.

The Prime Minister only returned on Tuesday evening, arriving on a commercial flight while the world awaited Mr Trump's decision on whether to follow through on threats to send Iran to the "Stone Age."

He then departed Stansted airport shortly after 8am this morning, embarking on a three-day diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners.

The trip, which had been in preparation for weeks, was only confirmed after Mr Trump announced a ceasefire via social media just before midnight on Tuesday.

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The Prime Minister has previously criticised his predecessor, Boris Johnson, and ex-Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for taking holidays during the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021.

At the time, he claimed the pair exhibited a failure of leadership and said he had shown poor judgment and complacency on how to handle the situation.

He said at the time: "You cannot coordinate an international response from the beach.

"I wouldn't stay on holiday while Kabul was falling."

The Prime Ministers' allies suggest this moment of international crisis could define his premiership, drawing comparisons to Gordon Brown's response during the financial crash.

Labour MPs have responded positively to his willingness to challenge Donald Trump on the legality of the conflict, leading some to question whether his departure after the May 7 elections remains inevitable.

Britain's modest military contribution has created friction with Gulf allies, particularly Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, who expressed concern at the UK's limited action.

The UK sent only HMS Dragon, a single destroyer, to Cyprus – a vessel that took weeks to arrive and has since returned to port due to a minor technical fault.

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Cyprus has demanded enhanced security guarantees from Britain, questioning whether UK forces can adequately protect the two RAF bases on the island following a drone strike that damaged a hangar at RAF Akrotiri.

The economic fallout from the conflict threatens to undermine the Prime Minister's central domestic priority of reducing the cost of living.

Experts warn that even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately, prices would continue climbing for up to six months.

Diesel has already reached £100 per tank, energy bills are projected to increase by nearly £200, and supermarket prices will rise due to fertiliser shortages and persistently high gas costs.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's relationship with Mr Trump has collapsed entirely.

The US President has repeatedly attacked Sir Keir, labelling him weak, likening him to Neville Chamberlain, and performing a mocking impression at a White House dinner.

A YouGov survey from March 30 found that 38 per cent of voters approved of Keir Starmer's handling of the Iran situation, while 45 per cent disapproved – a result his team considers relatively successful given his broader standing.

Among Labour supporters, 62 per cent gave him positive marks on the crisis.

However, his overall approval remains catastrophic, with 71 per cent rating his performance poorly and just 21 per cent positively – a slight improvement from February's 73 per cent disapproval.

Meanwhile, support for Labour has not recovered either, with the party polling at 16 per cent.