British journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil sharply criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer's handling of the Iran crisis on Newsmax on Wednesday, saying on "National Report" that the prime minister has turned the United Kingdom into "both an irrelevance and an embarrassment."
Neil said he was not surprised by criticism from President Donald Trump, arguing that "British policy has been a shambles."
"I mean, last Saturday morning we told the Americans, you can't use either the base you want in England or the base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean," Neil said.
"By close of play Sunday night we said you could. We changed our mind because we've got different legal advice."
He argued Starmer's approach to foreign policy is overly constrained by legal considerations.
"Keir Starmer is a lawyer. He outsources his foreign and military policy to lawyers," Neil said. "He's obsessed with sticking to international law. And this is the mess you get into if that's what you do, instead of standing up for the national interest."
According to Neil, allowing U.S. forces to use the bases was clearly in Britain's national interest. Instead, he said the government's shifting stance created confusion during a critical geopolitical moment.
Asked whether the prime minister was handling the situation appropriately, Neil responded bluntly: "No, he's not."
"He's managed to turn Britain into both an irrelevance and an embarrassment," Neil said. "To do both at one time is quite an achievement. I don't think any recent prime minister has managed to do both at the same time."
Neil also accused Starmer of misleading the public about U.S. requests for British support.
"He implied there that we, the British, had been asked by the Americans to join the war, to join the attacks on Iran," Neil said. "We've never been asked to do that. The Trump administration has never asked us to do that."
Instead, he said Washington only requested access to two key military bases.
"What we were asked to do was to make two important bases available, and we said no. Then we said yes," Neil said.
Even after granting access, Neil said Britain imposed confusing limitations.
"We've got ourselves into a terrible mess," he said, "and as I say, it's made us irrelevant in what is one of the most important geopolitical developments of modern times."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.