𝘠𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 said the UK had learned the lessons of the Iraq war as she was quizzed about reports Tony Blair said Britain should have backed America from the start of its Iran strikes

𝘠𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 has called out Tony Blair after he reportedly claimed Britain should have backed the US from the start of its Iran strikes.

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The Foreign Secretary said lessons have been learned from the disastrous Iraq War, and leaders should only take action that is in Britain’s national interests. And she said the Government will “focus on substance and not on social media posts” as she defended Keir Starmer after D0nald Trump’s latest rant overnight.

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On Saturday it was reported that Sir Tony said the UK should have supported the US from the start. The former Prime Minister is claimed to have said at a private event: “I am not saying anything that I haven’t already said to the government… I think we should have backed America from the very beginning.”

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Ms Cooper said it was important to “learn the lessons” from the Iraq war – which saw Britain join the US in a deadly conflict based on suspect evidence. Asked about the former Labour PM’s comments, she told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “I just disagree.”

She added: “There are some people in politics who think that we should always agree with the US whatever. There are other people in politics who think we should never take action with the US again whatever the circumstances. I don’t think either of those positions is in the UK national interest, and it is the responsibility for Keir Starmer to act in the UK’s national interest for British citizens.”

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Pressed on whether she was calling Sir Tony “a poodle”, Ms Cooper said: “I think the point is to make sure that, actually, we learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq, and I think that is exactly what Keir Starmer has done.”

Labour MP Jon Trickett responded: “We don’t need any lessons from the Warmonger in Iraq. A prolonged period from of silence from him would be most welcome.”

It comes as the Government faces the fallout from another tirade from the man in the White House. On Saturday evening the unpredictable US President hit out on his Truth Social network, claiming: “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

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And he also branded the UK “our once Great Ally” and said his country would remember the PM’s initial refusal to provide the use of British bases. Ms Cooper attempted to dimiss Trump’s most recent rant, telling Sky News’ Sunday with Trevor Phillips: “The thing I’ve learned doing this job is that you have to focus on substance and not on social media posts, and that’s the important way to do this.”

Ms Cooper went on to tell the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “I would say that this is about what’s in the UK’s interest. It’s for the US president to decide what he thinks is in the US national interest, and that’s for him to do.

“But it is our job as the UK government to decide what’s in the UK national interest. And that doesn’t mean simply agreeing with other countries or outsourcing our foreign policy to other countries.

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“We have to be able to take those decisions.” Ms Cooper went on: “That’s what Keir Starmer has been doing. And I think he’s right to stand up for Britain and Britain’s interests.”

Trump has been scathing after the Prime Minister refused to let the US launch strikes on Iran from British bases. He subsequently said they would be allowed to do so – but only for defensive strikes targeting missiles – after Iran attacked British allies and RAF Akrotiri was attacked in Cyprus.

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She continued: “Keir Starmer’s style of doing politics is obviously very different. And I think that kind of calm, coolheaded approach to these big, serious international issues, I really think that is right.

“And we’re not going to do things in terms of the rhetoric or hyperbole. We’re going to do things on really practical, calm, steady decision making, because I think that is actually the British character more widely, to do things in a serious and steady way. That’s what we’re going to.”

She stated: “The US president has a responsibility to do what he thinks is right in the US national interest. The UK Prime Minister has the responsibility to do what he thinks is right in the UK’s national interest.

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“That means sometimes we will disagree, and there are many areas where our security partnership remains incredibly strong, and I have seen myself the close intelligence cooperation the close military cooperation.

“But there will also be areas where we disagree. So, for example, we had disagreed on Greenland. We disagreed on the initial strikes that took place and whether the UK should provide the basing support for them.

“But that is a legitimate thing for the UK Prime Minister to do.”

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In a post overnight, Trump wrote: “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.

“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”