'Weak and spineless!' Keir Starmer's 'wobbly' position on Iran torn apart by top Tory

The Tory MP told GB News: "We should have actually had a proper protections for our military bases in place. But the Prime Minister had such weak and spineless leadership that he couldn't get his own way on.

"We need to ensure that those shipping lanes are kept open. They are vital for global trade, for oil prices and gas prices around the world as well."

Mr Holden argued that the Government should have permitted American forces to operate from British bases at the conflict's outset rather than agreeing to this arrangement belatedly.

He claimed this was a position the Conservatives, led by Kemi Badenoch, had championed from the beginning, suggesting internal Labour cabinet disagreements had prevented earlier action on the matter.

The Shadow Transport Secretary maintained that granting US access to British military installations should have occurred immediately, describing the eventual policy shift as arriving far too late.

"I was very clear actually from the start, we should have been allowing the Americans to use UK bases," Mr Holden stated.

"That position has only occurred down the line, which is a strange position that UK Government's found itself in.

"Also, we should have been much more proactive in helping our Gulf allies much earlier stages. We should have actually had naval assets in the Middle East a much a long time ago. They weren't there."

He suggested that had this approach been adopted earlier, Britain would now find itself in a considerably stronger strategic position, adding that proper protections for military bases ought to have been established well before hostilities commenced.

Mr Holden's criticism extended to what he characterised as severely damaged relationships with traditional British partners in the Gulf region.

"The truth is that Keir Starmer's weak and wobbly position has left us in this weird place where we are now with our own Gulf allies.

"People who've been allies of us for decade, asking where the hell has Britain been?" he told GB News.

The Shadow Transport Secretary insisted the Government should have taken a far more proactive stance in supporting these longstanding allies from the earliest stages of the crisis, rather than leaving them questioning Britain's commitment to the partnership.

Mr Holden also argued that British naval assets should have been deployed to the Middle East considerably earlier than they were, describing these as fundamentally political decisions that the Government failed to take.

He emphasised the critical importance of maintaining open shipping lanes, noting their significance for global commerce and energy prices worldwide, including keeping the Straits of Hormuz accessible.

He concluded: "Of course, I want to see the Straits of Hormuz kept open.

"The question exactly whether whether we deploy a minesweeper or a destroyer or a frigate or an aircraft carrier or whatever is required.

"Those are operational decisions which I can't make at this moment in time because I've not got all the facts in front of me. That's the only question mark I have over this situation."