Conflict in the Middle East

Lord Livingston of Parkhead Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

My noble friend knows my position, and there is no doubt that, as the Prime Minister has made absolutely clear, a priority for aid will be Gaza. The situation is desperate, but of course, we have to remember the consequences generally for the change in the situation, particularly in relation to official development assistance. These are the direct consequences of the illegal invasion of Ukraine—the incredibly dangerous moment for the world, where the United Nations charter has been completely ignored. The West has had to respond by ensuring that the security of this country and of Europe is a priority. That is why the focus has to be on defence. My noble friend also knows that, in terms of development, I am absolutely focused on making sure that we use all the tools in our toolkit to ensure progress, particularly on the empowerment of women, which I know is an issue and a strong focus of her activities.

[Lord Livingston of Parkhead (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, as is clear, Iran was heading towards the ability to create nuclear weapons. We can debate the timeframe, but given that the Iranian leadership chants repeatedly not just death to Israel, death to America, and death to infidels, but “death to England”, and given the failure of the diplomatic path to stop a potential nuclear-armed Iran, does the Minister not think that the British Government should reflect on the “death to England” chant and be doing something more than just saying, “Arms alone will not work”?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I am not just reflecting the United Kingdom’s view on this situation; I am also reflecting the view of the President of the United States, who has been absolutely focused on reaching a deal—a deal that would end the escalation of Iran’s nuclear programme. The noble Lord is absolutely right: we have seen the escalation, far beyond the limits committed to in the JCPOA. It is enriching uranium to such a level that there is no plausible civilian use. We absolutely understand the threat that this suggests, and that there is a need for international efforts to hold Iran to account. But I repeat: in the discussions with Israel and with American and Iranian counterparts, all parties recognise that, ultimately, only a diplomatic settlement can address the nuclear issue in the long-term. That is why we are completely focused on the moment—on de-escalation. It is an incredibly dangerous moment. We know that, even as I speak, further action is being taken.

If the situation escalates, we will not see control of the nuclear arms race; the consequences will potentially be far worse. That is why we are completely focused on the diplomatic effort and on supporting President Trump’s efforts.