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  "path": "/politics/keir-starmer-on-holiday-spain-donald-trump-threatened-obliterate-iran",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-08T20:19:33.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "PM mocked by Vladimir Putin as warship sails through Channel despite PM’s vow to seize vessels",
    "Ships pass through Strait of Hormuz for first time since Donald Trump halted Iran strikes",
    "Almost 300 small boat migrants swarm across Channel in one day - with more expected in hours ahead",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nSir Keir Starmer was on an Easter holiday in Spain with his family when Donald Trump threatened to \"obliterate the entire civilisation\" of Iran.\n\nThe 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.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe then departed Stansted airport shortly after 8am this morning, embarking on a three-day diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners.\n\nThe 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 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.\n\nAt 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.\n\nHe said at the time: \"You cannot coordinate an international response from the beach.\n\n\"I wouldn't stay on holiday while Kabul was falling.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Prime Ministers' allies suggest this moment of international crisis could define his premiership, drawing comparisons to Gordon Brown's response during the financial crash.\n\nLabour 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.\n\nBritain'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.\n\nThe 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.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * PM mocked by Vladimir Putin as warship sails through Channel despite PM’s vow to seize vessels\n  * Ships pass through Strait of Hormuz for first time since Donald Trump halted Iran strikes\n  * Almost 300 small boat migrants swarm across Channel in one day - with more expected in hours ahead\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCyprus 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.\n\nThe economic fallout from the conflict threatens to undermine the Prime Minister's central domestic priority of reducing the cost of living.\n\nExperts warn that even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately, prices would continue climbing for up to six months.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDiesel 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.\n\nMeanwhile, the Prime Minister's relationship with Mr Trump has collapsed entirely.\n\nThe 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nA 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.\n\nAmong Labour supporters, 62 per cent gave him positive marks on the crisis.\n\nHowever, 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.\n\nMeanwhile, support for Labour has not recovered either, with the party polling at 16 per cent.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Keir Starmer was on holiday in Spain when Donald Trump threatened to obliterate Iran"
}