Lord Richard Hermer has warned his own government that any UK intervention against Iran would be illegal under international law. As the top legal advisor, he contends that Britain can only play a defensive role in the ongoing conflict (while doubting the legality of Israel’s response to Hamas and its ‘Axis of Resistance‘ allies).
A source told The Spectator that Hermer is to sign off any offensive operations, stating
The AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies.
Gormless Labour foreign secretary David Lammy is scheduled to meet his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio on Thursday, June 19th, where he is expected to toe Westminster’s less-than-hawkish line. This British position has been one of calling for escalation, going almost as far back as October 7th, 2023.
The position would be further complicated if U.S. airstrikes went ahead from the joint U.S.-UK Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands which, reportedly, the UK would need to sign off on. Hermer himself was involving in ‘crafting’ the deal to hand the Archipelago over to Chinese ally Mauritius.
While Hermer has a “disgraceful” political record—including likening Tories and Reform UK voters to Nazis—his profile and influence owes much to the growing problem of ‘lawfare’ in British politics, where legal expertise can end up overriding and even replacing the power of elected politicians.
