UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s readiness to deploy British troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers has triggered immediate calls from lawmakers for parliamentary involvement in any such decision, Politico reports.
Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to enforce any peace deal.
The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military, where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030. But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.
MPs from across the main parties told Politico they believe parliament should have a say in deploying peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine after Starmer indicated he is “ready and willing” to put UK personnel in harm’s way.
The proposal has sparked debate in London about parliament’s role in shaping the response, with some MPs pushing for a formal vote while others warn against restricting the prime minister’s authority.
MP Graham Stringer from Starmer’s Labor Party told Politico:
“[There] certainly should be a Commons vote, and after failing in Basra and Helmand I would take some convincing,” referencing British military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan during the 2000s under Tony Blair.
Left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott stated on X that if British troops on the ground are required, “parliament should vote on it first.“
Another Labour MP Clive Lewis told Politico on 17 February:
“In times of crisis, we all want strong leaders. But strength and wisdom are not a zero-sum game — true leadership requires both. Involving parliament in this decision demonstrates both those qualities.“
When asked if MPs would get a parliamentary vote on any military action, Starmer’s spokesperson did not rule out such a step but said the administration won’t “get ahead” of itself.
MPs from Westminster’s opposition parties are also calling for parliament’s involvement.
“We support the prime minister’s proposals on Ukraine — and we have also always supported parliament having its say on military deployments,” Helen Maguire, the defense spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, told Politico.
Conservative MP John Whittingdale said that MPs would “expect parliament to debate and possibly vote on” Starmer’s proposal. Mark Garnier, a Conservative front-bench spokesperson, said that “although PMs can deploy forces without reference to parliament, Tony Blair set the precedent” now used. “Starmer should do the same,” he added.
Two other Conservative MPs, John Cooper and Neil Shastri-Hurst, told Politico they believe the Commons will want to debate the issue. Cooper emphasized it was “vital” to keep parliament informed of developments to preserve parliament’s “united front on Ukraine.”
Related:
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- Ceasefire without security guarantees will fail like Minsk agreements, Macron warns
- Top Russian, US officials set to hold talks on Ukraine without Ukraine Saudi Arabia
- “Unthinkable”: French FM Barrot rejects Russia’s G7 return, citing aggression and security threat
- Starmer open to deploying British troops to Ukraine as US support uncertainty grows
- Ukraine still on “irreversible path” to NATO despite Trump’s stance, UK’s Starmer tells Zelenskyy
- US might deploy troops to Ukraine without Moscow-Kyiv peace deal, Vance says
