UK politics: Farage says Trump’s Iranian ‘civilisation will die’ threats went ‘way too far’– as it happened

Farage says he was ‘shocked’ by Trump’s comment about ending Iranian civilisation, which went ‘way too far’

Even Nigel Farage now believes that Donald Trump has gone too far. In the past the Reform UK leader has been one of the president’s biggest supporters in the UK. More recently he has started to stress that he does not agree with the president on everything. But at his press conference this morning he was still broadly supportive, arguing that the UK could not defend itself militarily without the US and saying that, if he were PM, he would allow Trump to use British bases to attack Iranian infrastructure – provided Trump could assure him he had a plan for the end game. (See 2.55pm.)

But Trump’s latest Truth Social post has pushed Farage over the edge.

During a post-press conference walkabout in Bedworth, a Press Association reporter told Farage what Trump had said in his post and asked for a response. Farage said:

double quotation markI am quite shocked just to hear that. That is over the top in every single way.

Yes of course he wants to threaten – to get them to the negotiating table. But those words are … they’re way too far.

Asked if the post was befitting of someone holding the office of the US president, Farage answered:

double quotation markHe’s an upset, angry American president.

He’s wholly unconventional but I would remind you of what Churchill said about the bombing of Germany during the war. Some quite extraordinary things were said there as well.

Nigel Farage posing for a photograph with a boy in Bedworth during a walkabout, with his security team alongside him. Photograph: Sean Smith/The GuardianShare

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Early evening summary

Keir Starmer has been urged to stop allowing the US to use British military bases in the light of Donald Trump’s threat to attack power stations and bridges and to destroy Iranian civilisation. No 10 has said the the UK is only allowing American bombers to set off from British soil for missions with a “defensive” purpose, targeting missile sites. (See 1.07pm.) But the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have have said that Starmer needs to go much further. (See 2.22pm and 2.29pm.) Even Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, who has said he would allow UK bases to be used for US attacks provided Trump could explain the strategy (see 2.55pm), has said that Trump’s most recent anti-Iran diatribe went too far (see 4.24pm). Trump is now being reviled by his opponents in the US for his threats, which are sounding at once grotesque, unhinged and absurd.

But Downing Street has declined to criticise Trump directly over what he has said, in line with Keir Starmer’s long-standing decision to ignore the president’s provocations as far as possible. Generally Labour MPs have also held their fire, although some leftwingers have spoken out. This is from Apsana Begum.

double quotation markTrump is warning of complete catastrophe in Iran.

Our Government can act and has a choice to make.

It can withdraw all access to our military bases, with no overflight, landing or refuelling for the US, or drag the UK into a wider conflict.

The British people do not want war.

And this is from Andy McDonald.

double quotation markTrump’s reckless willingness to talk in such terms of the death of a whole civilisation, as with his reference to the Stone Age, must be understood as a threat to civilians and civilians infrastructure.

He must step back from the brink – and be told to do so by UK govt.

For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.

Two members of the British Medical Association (BMA) on the picket line outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, as resident doctors in England started six days of strike action. Photograph: James Manning/PAShare

Updated at 19.28 CEST

HMS Dragon back in dock in Mediterranean for maintenance, MoD says

HMS Dragon, which was sent from the UK to protect Britain’s air bases in Cyprus after the Iran war started, has docked in the Mediterranean after suffering technical issues, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The MoD said the Royal Navy type-45 destroyer would till be able to sail at short notice “if required”.

An MoD spokesperson said:

double quotation markHMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the eastern Mediterranean, allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance.

HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness during this period, able to sail at short notice if required.

The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the eastern Mediterranean, working in co-ordination with allies.

This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.

HMS Dragon was not ready to be deployed when the Iran war started, and had to be made ready very quickly, in a development that was seen by some as evidence that the Britain’s armed forces are not in a fit state for combat.

HMS Dragon leaving Portsmouth naval base last month. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty ImagesShare

Welsh Greens’ leader Anthony Slaughter confirms he’s open to post-election power-sharing talks with Plaid Cymru

Anthony Slaughter, the leader of the Welsh Greens, has said his party is open to negotiations with Plaid Cymru, the Press Association reports. PA says:

double quotation markSpeaking at the Green party’s Senedd manifesto launch earlier today, Slaughter said collaboration is “in the DNA” of his party.

Labour has led Wales for more than two decades but, if opinion polling is to be believed, Reform and Plaid Cymru are vying to become the biggest parties after the vote on 7 May.

Launching the Green campaign last week, leader Zack Polanski said he believed his party, which currently has no members of the Senedd (MSs), could be “kingmakers” in Wales.

Today Slaughter said: “The crises that we’ve outlined and that we tackle in this manifesto are so urgent, we would work with likeminded people where there is common ground to tackle these issues.

If Reform UK are the largest party in the Senedd, God forbid, I don’t think I need to say it again and again, we would not work with Reform in any shape or form, we would not work with the Welsh Conservatives in any shape or form.

“But if it comes to pass that Plaid Cymru are the largest party, we are open to talking, negotiating.

“Any Green support for a future Welsh government isn’t unconditional, it isn’t just, ‘you’re not Reform, you’ve kept Reform out’.

“There would be key Green objectives that would have to be delivered.”

The Wales Green party manifesto pledges a scrapping of council tax, to be replaced with a land value tax, a freeze on rents and free bus travel for under-22s.

The latest YouGov poll published by ITV Cymru Wales forecasts Plaid Cymru to be the biggest party in the Welsh parliament, but without a majority.

The same poll suggests the Greens, who have never won a seat at Cardiff Bay, are on course to elect 10 MSs.

Anthony Slaughter, the Welsh Greens’ leader, speaking at their campaign launch last week. Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty ImagesShare

Amnesty International UK urges government to withdraw military support being offered to US in light of Trump’s threats

Amnesty International UK is also (see 2.22pm and 2.29pm) calling for the UK to immediately withdraw military support being offered to the US in the light of Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran. Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty’s crisis response manager, said:

double quotation markThis is a moment of extreme danger for civilians in Iran and the wider region. For President Trump to threaten that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’ echoes genocidal language – and the UK government must urgently end military support to the US that could enable crimes under international law, including war crimes.

A US strike has already killed over 168 people, including more than 100 children, at a school in Minab, Iran. Bridges and energy infrastructure are being bombed. The decision to allow the US to use British military bases does not exist in a vacuum – it carries serious human rights responsibilities.

Amnesty International is unequivocal: threatening to systematically destroy civilian infrastructure is a threat to commit war crimes. Attacking power plants essential to the survival of tens of millions of civilians would be unlawful. The UK must be equally unequivocal.

And these are from my colleauge Jessica Elgot on Bluesky on the Kanye West controversy.

double quotation markA lot has bothered me about the reporting of the Kanye West banned. Firstly how it has been framed as all about it the Jewish community – but we should all be against Nazism! This country fought Nazis. Songs called Heil Hitler should not just be for the Jewish community to object to. And secondly…

double quotation markI can have empathy that psychosis is possible and that Kanye has a verifiable mental illness. But hundreds of people facilitated him, they manufactured swastika T-shirts, they were extras and backing singers and producers of his Heil Hitler single and music video. Don’t these people have any morals?

double quotation markAgain, this is not a “Jewish community” issue – this should be something that everyone finds abhorrent. But even Keir Starmer’s statement frames this as an issue that is because the Jews have been complaining again. Kanye puts the emphasis on making amends to Jews. It’s exhausting.

Tories welcome ban on Kanye West coming to UK, while suggesting ministers not as tough on Islamist hate preachers

Here are is some more reaction from politicians and others to the Home Office’s decision to ban Kanye West from entering the UK to peform at the Wireless festival.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews issued a statement saying West should never have been invited in the first place.

double quotation markWe welcome the government listening to the concerns of Jews in the UK and preventing Kanye West from entering the country.

It is deeply regrettable that Wireless Festival invited him in the first place and then doubled down when the Jewish community and our allies objected. We note that the festival has now been cancelled but it should never have reached this point. The situation could and should have been resolved much earlier.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, welcomed the move, but said the government should be just as tough with Islamist hate preachers.

double quotation markIt is welcome the government has followed our calls to block Kanye West coming to the UK.

If the Labour government is going to deny visas to antisemites, it must apply the same standards consistently. The government should now commit to refusing entry visas to extremists such as hate preachers. We must stop those expressing extremist views getting into Britain, and those already here who are not British citizens should be deported.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, has welcomed the move.

double quotation markI’m glad the government has listened and done the right thing by banning Kanye West from coming to the UK to peddle his hatred.

British festivals should be a place for celebration, not a platform for someone who has openly praised Hitler and promoted vile antisemitic conspiracy theories.

More than 40 Labour MPs have written to Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, urging him to change the way the price for electricity is set, so that it is no longer regularly tied to the cost of gas, Faye Brown at Sky News reports.

In their letter, organised by Simon Opher, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on net zero, the MPs say:

double quotation markDecoupling electricity prices from gas would be a major structural reform, but it is one that could both protect households and demonstrate that this government is willing to take bold action in the public interest.

This is an idea that was also proposed by the Green party in a recent Commons early day motion, and backed also by some MPs from Plaid Cymru, Your Party, the Lib Dems and the SDLP.

Graduates on lower salaries won’t benefit from today’s student loans interest rate cap, Institute for Fiscal Studies says

Graduates on lower salaries won’t benefit from the cap on the interest paid on student loans announced by the government today (see 11.16am), the Institute for Fiscal Studies says.

In a comment on the announcement, Kate Ogden, a senior research economist at the IFS, said:

double quotation markIn anticipation of a possible spike in inflation as a result of events in the Middle East, the government has today announced that interest rates on student loans issued to English students will be capped at 6% next academic year.

If the March 2026 figure for RPI inflation comes in at more than 3% – as seems likely – this cap will reduce the interest rate applied to outstanding plan 2 student loans held by higher-earning graduates who are subject to an interest rate of up to RPI plus 3%. It will only reduce actual loan repayments in the long run from the roughly third of graduates that can expect to repay their plan 2 loans in full.

If, for example, March RPI came in at 4%, the cap might benefit the highest-earning graduates by an average of around £500 over their lifetime.

It will do nothing for graduates who are lower-earning currently who will still see their interest rate set at RPI and therefore likely below the new cap.

As my colleague Peter Walker points out on Bluesky, we’re now in the odd position where Nigel Farage is more willing to condemn Donald Trump (see 4.24pm) than anyone from the Labour government has been.

double quotation markThree hours after Donald Trump’s threat that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” in Iran, and Nigel Farage has been more openly critical of this than Downing Street or anyone else in the UK government.