Middle East

Ellie Chowns Excerpts

Monday 23rd March 2026 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

That issue is a part of the discussions, particularly those being undertaken by the Foreign Secretary and her team, that we are having with Gulf nations and with Lebanon, and the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Lebanese Prime Minister in recent days.

[Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

The expansion of US use of UK bases announced over the weekend represents an escalation of UK involvement in this war. At a time when we all agree that de-escalation is urgently needed, we are being dragged into Trump’s illegal, reckless war, with huge ramifications for the region and for households in this country. Last week, the Secretary of State said that he would get involved only if there was a “viable, collective plan”, but where is that plan? This afternoon, the Prime Minister said to the Liaison Committee that we must beware of

“the false comfort of thinking that there will necessarily be a quick and early end to this”

conflict. Given all that, when will we have a Commons vote on the escalating UK involvement in this illegal and reckless war?

[John Healey]

I reject almost everything that the hon. Lady has said. We will not get drawn into a wider war. The decisions that we are taking are de-escalatory and defensive, not escalatory, and we will work in whatever way we can to bring an early end to this conflict.