Newslinks for Thursday 19th June 2025

June 19, 2025

UK considers military support as Trump threatens to bomb Iran

“Britain is weighing up whether to provide the United States with military support in the event President Trump decides to bomb Iran amid mounting concerns that it will be dragged into the conflict. Trump said on Wednesday that Iran was “in a lot of trouble” as he demanded “unconditional surrender”, adding that his patience has “already run out”. The US military is prepared to carry out strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities along with other military and political targets. “I may do it, may not,” he said on the lawn at the White House. “I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.” Sir Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday after flying back from the G7 summit.” – The Times

Starmer puts Cabinet on alert for potential US attack on Iran – FT
UK would have to sign off on US use of base for raid on Iran – The Guardian
President approves Iran attack plan but has not made final decision, reports say – BBC News
Trump caution on Iran strike linked to doubts over ‘bunker buster’ bomb, officials say – The Guardian
And Trump approves strike – Daily Mail
Iran strike plan approved by Trump – Daily Express
Lammy races to Washington amid US-Iran war fears – Daily Express
Hermer: UK joining war on Iran may be illegal – Daily Telegraph
Ready for war – The Sun
Iran will never surrender, Ayatollah tells Trump amid Israel conflict – The Times
British, German and French foreign ministers plan meeting with Iranian counterpart – The Guardian
Hospital in Israel ‘extensively damaged’ by Iran missile strike – The Guardian
Iran’s weak defences will strike fear into the Kremlin – Daily Telegraph
Iranian regime collapse would be serious blow for Russia – The Guardian

Comment

>Today:

UK trying to delay Nato 5% defence target by three years

“The UK is trying to delay the defence spending rise among Nato allies by three years, The i Paper can reveal. Nato allies will meet next week for a summit at The Hague, where they are expected to agree on a target to increase their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP in order to deter Russian aggression. However, the timeline for the rise has until now been vague. Nato’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, and the US are both pushing for the increase to be complete by 2032, but the UK has proposed a new deadline of 2035 with a review clause in 2029”. – the i

Interfering politicians doomed HS2 from the start, review finds

“Politicians were so scared that HS2 would be cancelled that they allowed costs to spiral out of control, a review of infrastructure projects has found. It identified a “deficit in capability and skills, with a fundamental lack of trust” between HS2 Ltd, the government-owned company responsible for the project, and the Department for Transport. The review was conducted by James Stewart, a former chairman of infrastructure advisory at the consultants KPMG, who found that those working on the project were consistently more concerned about its timetable than preventing ballooning costs. The price tag for the scheme in 2011 was £32.7 billion, for a line that would have connected London, Manchester and Leeds and was due to open by 2026. As costs soared, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, when they were in No 10, cut sections of the line.” – The Times

Cabinet Office ‘brushed aside warnings about HS2 fraud’ – Daily Telegraph

Comment

Rayner ally dragged into grooming gangs row

“A Government minister and ally of Angela Rayner led a council that chose not to refer to the Pakistani heritage of grooming gangs. Jim McMahon was the leader of Oldham council when its child sexual exploitation taskforce sought to avoid drawing attention to the ethnicity of perpetrators in its media strategy. In 2012, the service expressed concern about “community tensions” and said the “proactive confirmation of ethnicity could provide ammunition for far-Right groups that might attempt to focus additional attention on Oldham regarding this issue”. Mr McMahon, a minister in the Deputy Prime Minister’s local government department, served as the leader of Oldham council between 2011 and 2016. He was elected as MP for Oldham West and Royton in 2015.” – Daily Telegraph

Rochdale grooming gang cannot be deported after tearing up Pakistan passports – Daily Telegraph

Comment

>Yesterday:

Disability benefit claimants to rise by 750,000 despite Starmer reforms

“The number of people claiming disability benefits in Britain will jump by 750,000 over the next five years despite Sir Keir Starmer’s attempt to reduce the welfare bill, the Government has admitted. An official impact assessment of Labour’s benefits reforms found that the total cost of two disability benefits would increase by £8 billion by 2030 as the number of claimants continued to soar. The rate will rise despite a crackdown on the criteria for some benefits by Sir Keir that prompted a rebellion from Labour backbenchers. Even with Labour’s changes, the number will increase by 750,000 people by 2030, while costs will increase from £23 billion to £31 billion a year.” – Daily Telegraph

Benefits system could collapse if payments are not cut, Kendall says – The Guardian

Comment

Minister pledges ban on strangulation pornography

“Pornography depicting strangulation and suffocation could be criminalised under changes to be introduced by the government. Speaking in the House of Commons, Dame Diana Johnson told MPs: “We know that the increasing prevalence of this kind of content… is fuelling violent sexual encounters.” She said the government would aim to make the change by adding amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill when it is debated in the House of Lords. On Wednesday, both Labour MP Jess Asato and former Conservative minister Dame Caroline Dinenage tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill aimed at introducing a ban.” – BBC News