Labour talks tough on defence, but critics question 'dithering Starmer’s' military judgment in face of Putin threat
Labour put defence and foreign policy at the centre of its Liverpool conference, but senior figures are warning that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lacks the judgement and decisiveness needed to face down Vladimir Putin.
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Speaking exclusively to LBC, Alicia Kearns, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, accused Sir Keir of weakness in the face of Russian aggression.
“Putin is testing European security; utilising cyber-attacks, disinformation, the cutting of undersea cables and even sending Russian drones into Nato airspace. We have seen this playbook before in the run up to his full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Ms Kearns said.
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“Our response requires resolutely firm leadership – something Starmer has proven he lacks time and time again. In Ukraine the UK was leading thought and action, now we mutely follow and hang on the coat tails of others.
"Delaying taking difficult decisions when a Deputy or appointed Ambassador is mired in scandal is politically damaging. Delaying difficult decisions when it comes to National Security can be catastrophic.
"We need a Prime Minister who can make decisions on his own – not dither until events overtake him, and force his hand.
"The stakes could not be higher, and we cannot afford the same spineless approach Starmer has taken in all other matters applied to questions of British and European security.”
Her remarks echo the concerns of Justin Doherty, a former British Army tank commander and disinformation expert, who warned that orders to the military carry profound consequences.
“The military operates to clearly defined rules of engagement,” he told LBC.
“These are vital instructions that set out when a soldier, sailor, submariner, or airman can use lethal force. In the heat of battle there will likely not be time to dither or debate the rules.
"So any orders to the RAF must be weighed carefully at the strategic and political level – the first and second order consequences may be profound. And we have to hope – and pray – that our leader, Sir Keir, understands Putin’s psychology, likely responses, and any potential for misunderstanding or dangerous escalation.”
The interventions come in the same week Defence Secretary John Healey declared Labour “the party of Britain’s defence” in a combative conference speech. He accused the Conservatives of leaving the armed forces “hollowed out”, the Liberal Democrats of shrinking the Army “to its smallest since Napoleon”, and Reform UK of “praising Putin and putting down Nato”.
“We are the party that created Nato in that great Attlee government after the war,” Healey told delegates. “Now we are the party growing jobs and growing the army, the party facing down Russia and strengthening Nato.”
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The Defence Secretary, who received a standing ovation for telling Vladimir Putin to “stop the killing, start the talks”, insisted Labour would stand by Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reinforced the message, drawing a sharp contrast with what she called “chaotic right-wing ideology”. She vowed Labour would confront Russian provocations directly, including jets entering Nato airspace. “If we need to confront planes in Nato airspace without permission, then we will do so,” she said.
But while Labour projected itself as strong and united on defence, internal tensions were visible on other fronts. An emergency motion before delegates called on the party to accept UN findings that “Israel is committing a genocide” and to back an arms embargo, setting up a potentially fraught debate on Britain’s stance in the Middle East.
For now, the party hierarchy is presenting Labour as Nato's most reliable ally, willing to confront Moscow and restore Britain’s reputation as a defence power.
But critics argue that speeches are one thing and crisis decision-making another. Kearns and Doherty both warn that Starmer’s tendency to delay could prove disastrous in moments where Britain must act quickly and decisively to defend its allies.