Robert Jenrick@RobertJenrick
The Iranian regime is wicked, but this war needs to come to an end as soon as possible because it is making Britain poorer.
Reform are a party for working people, not drawn-out wars in faraway places.
The liberal interventionists of the early 21st century failed our own people, leaving them poorer and more exposed to mass migration, not to mention the brave British men whose lives were lost. The British people have had enough of them. It’s time to be realists and put Britain first.
That’s why Nigel Farage immediately ruled out suggestions that the UK might deploy boots on the ground. Nor do we see why British aircraft should become involved in offensive action.
In just a matter of days, people are feeling the side effects of this conflict. The cost of filling up your car or van has already risen sharply. Those who rely on heating oil to heat their homes are feeling the pinch. And very soon household prices will rise more sharply. The fact is that the longer this war continues, the more damage it will cause to British families, businesses and manufacturers.
We must channel Palmerston and ruthlessly pursue our national self-interest. That means being steadfast in our defence of our people and bases in the region. But it also means being clear that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East will see prices spiral here and hurt everyone in their pocket.
The only war the Government should be waging is on the malign Iranian influence here on our own soil. The radical Imams Tehran funds. The extremism they promote. The agents they send on small boats. The IRGC needs to be proscribed, the funding cut off, and our porous borders sealed shut. Illegal migrants from Iran must be removed.
If those egging on British military involvement in Iran were as eager to secure our border we would be a much safer country.
And as everything becomes more expensive, Starmer should be making life easier for people. I warned the Chancellor on Tuesday that a rise in fuel duty at a time when prices are already rising by 20 per cent was a terrible idea, yet she has doubled down. So too has Ed Miliband, who refuses to grant new oil and gas licenses against all logic.
At a time when our country is broken and in need of serious repair, we do not need distractions. Our sole interest must always be in making the British people safer and more prosperous. There is no time to waste.
