A fresh set of US and UK airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen were intended to “send the clearest possible message that Britain backs its words and our warnings with action”, David Cameron has said.
The foreign secretary insisted he was confident that attacks carried out 10 days ago by Britain and the US had had an effect on degrading the Houthis’ abilities to attack shipping in the Red Sea.
“Since we last took action 10 days ago, there have been over 12 attacks on shipping by the Houthis in the Red Sea,” he told the BBC.
“These attacks are illegal, they are unacceptable. What we have done again is send the clearest possible message that we will continue to degrade their ability to carry out these attacks while sending the clearest possible message that we back our words and our warnings with action.”
However, unlike the previous strikes by the US and UK, with support from allies, the British government had failed to brief the opposition, the Labour party has said. Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of the House of Commons, was also not consulted on this occasion, it is understood.
Karin Smyth, a shadow health minister, said Labour had not been briefed ahead of fresh allied strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Speaking to GB News, she said: “We don’t know why the government haven’t spoken to us on the usual terms. We would expect them to do that. We would certainly expect a statement by the prime minister today in parliament, so we will await developments on that.”
Starmer and the Commons speaker were consulted 10 days ago in their roles as members of the privy council, but it is understood that this did not happen this time.
Rishi Sunak is expected to make a statement to parliament on Tuesday, where Labour will press for further details of the government’s strategy and a summary of the legal advice that was drawn on before the strikes went ahead.
The Liberal Democrats accused the government of again “bypassing” MPs as the UK joined US military action.
“Liberal Democrats are concerned about the Houthis’ attacks in the Red Sea and so we support the case for limited strikes, so long as they remain limited,” said the party’s leader, Ed Davey.
“However, it is absolutely vital that parliament has an opportunity to have its say, via a debate and a vote. The prime minister has so far failed to grant either. It is deeply disappointing that elected representatives are being bypassed on an issue as important as military action.”
Sunak was criticised 10 days ago for not informing parliament before airstrikes were carried out.
Huw Merriman, a transport minister, insisted during an interview on Sky News that this had not been the case.
“The leader of the opposition and the speaker were given that information. My understand is that that information was conveyed, which is what I have been told,” added Merriman, who said the government was not ruling out further strikes.
The US and UK said they had conducted “an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes” against eight Houthi targets, with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
The number of targets is considerably lower than the 60 struck in the first air raids on Yemen made by the two countries 10 days earlier, while their effect and the number of casualties caused is uncertain.
The latest raid marks the eighth time the US has conducted strikes on Houthi targets this months and the second time that the UK has participated.
