David Lammy has brutally slammed a Reform MP for “swallowing conspiracy theories” during a statement on the Middle East.
The foreign secretary urged Sarah Pochin to “get some help” after she claimed that the government’s disputed decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius had influenced Donald Trump’s plans to bomb Iran.
Lammy clashed with one of Nigel Farage’s MPs as tensions in the Middle East rise, with the Labour heavyweight telling her to “get off social media”.
Speaking in the Commons, -Pochin said: “Is he [Lammy] able to explain to the House whether the United States felt unable to use the Diego Garcia base and have to refuel, in a highly dangerous operation three times because of that, because of your deal that you did with the with the Mauritians, that would then tell the Chinese, that would then tell the Iranians?”
Lammy hit back: “The honourable lady has got to get off social media, has got to get some help because she’s swallowing conspiracy theories which should not be repeated in this House.”
There were queries that the UK might need to grant the US permission to use the Diego Garcia air base, located in the Chagos Islands, to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. However, the American aircraft flew non-stop from the US on their bombing mission and did not stop to refuel.
Nigel Farage backed Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, saying: “Reform UK stands behind the military actions of the USA overnight. Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, the future of Israel depends on it.
He added that using the air base in Diego Garcia would have been “safer, more sensible” and given more of an “element of surprise”.
But the MP for Clacton stopped short of urging Keir Starmer to join in with military support, if America were to request it.
Although Lammy refused to defend the attack and didn’t confirm it was legal. “We were not involved; it is for the Americans to discuss those legal issues,” he responded, avoiding the answer.