UK Airstrike: Houthi Military Facility

Clive Efford Excerpts

Wednesday 30th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

I am confident. We handle secure communications in secure ways, and we do that consistently here in the UK.

[Clive Efford (Eltham and Chislehurst) (Lab)]

I join my right hon. Friend in paying tribute to the armed forces personnel who took part in last night’s action. The fact that it is the UK that is supporting the USA in this action really does emphasise our close relationship. However, this morning’s newspapers suggest that our desire to do a trade deal with America has been pushed back to a second tranche of countries, or maybe even a third. Does he share my disappointment at that decision, and would he ask the Trump Administration to return to that issue and to consider our close relationship in defence and intelligence?

[John Healey]

I gently urge my hon. Friend not necessarily to believe everything he reads in the newspapers. He is very experienced and has a very good insight into the political world. Just to reassure him, we are pulling out all the stops behind the scenes to try to settle a trade deal with the US, just as we are to reinforce the special depth of the relationship on security and defence matters between the UK and the US.