Ministers and opposition MPs condemn Trump’s ‘utterly ridiculous’ claim about Nato troops in Afghanistan – UK politics live

Al Carns, the former Royal Marines officer who is now a defence minister, has posted a video response to Donald Trump’s comments about the record of British and other allied forces in Afghanistan. (See 8.56am.) Without mentioning the president by name, Carns says that his comments are “utterly ridiculous”.

Tracking some comments made that Nato troops stayed a little off the front lines in Afghanistan and that the US has never necessarily needed us.

Well, it’s a real shame to hear that. The only time Nato’s ever enacted article 5 was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, and the world rallied to the support of the US.

Our agencies, our forces, our politicians, we all stood together shoulder to shoulder and responded.

On Afghanistan, frankly, it’s utterly ridiculous. Many courageous and honourable service personnel from many nations fought on the front lines. Many fought way beyond it. I served five tours in Afghanistan, many alongside my American colleagues. We shed blood, sweat and tears together. And not everybody came home.

These are bonds, I think, forged in fire, protecting us, our shared interests, but actually protecting democracy overall.

I suggest whoever believes these comments, come have a whisky with me, my colleagues, their families and importantly, the families of those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for both of our nations.

Carns ended with two military sayings.

Now, some advice for anyone who may be listening. There are two great sayings worth remembering. Number one, there’s only one worse things than working with allies; that is working without them. And when you do, always remember: never above, never below, always side by side.

Although the whisky invitation seems addressed to the president, it won’t appeal to him. Trump doesn’t drink.

Stephen Kinnock, the health minister, was giving morning to promote an announcement about cancer care. As Denis Campbell reports, hospitals in rural and coastal parts of England will get more cancer doctors to help tackle stark inequalities that mean people in some areas are far more likely to die from the disease.

There is more comment on this in the Department of Health and Social Care’s news release.

Kemi Badenoch has joined those condemning Donald Trump’s comment about the record of Nato allies in Afghanistan. Within the last few minutes she posted this on social media.

Trump saying NATO allies “weren’t on the front line” in Afghanistan is flat-out nonsense. British, Canadian, and NATO troops fought and died alongside the US for 20 years.

This is a fact, not opinion. Their sacrifice deserves respect not denigration.

And here are two Conservative MPs on Donald Trump’s comments about the record of Nato allies in Afghanistan.

From Simon Hoare, chair of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee

Frankly Trump makes my flesh creep and my stomach turn. Where are his advisors? Where is his nurse? Where is his sense of shame?

From Ben Spencer, a shadow science minister

The US president has gone from insulting and threatening NATO allies to insulting and demeaning the brave men and women of our armed forces.

457 British service personnel died in Afghanistan, with UK troops having served alongside US troops and those from over 50 coalition nations. We will always remember them.

In a country renowned for its respect for service men and women, it is astounding and shameful that the US President to show such contempt for the service of others.

We have to question the strength of any relationship, special or otherwise, with someone who could treat their sacrifice with such disrespect.

From Ben Obese-Jecty, a former soldier

I served in Afghanistan. I saw first hand the sacrifices made by British soldiers I served alongside in Sangin where we suffered horrific casualties, as did the US Marines the following year.

I don’t believe US military personnel share the view of President Trump; his words do them a disservice as our closest military allies. I

It’s sad to see our nation’s sacrifice, and that of our NATO partners, held so cheaply by the President of the United States.

This is from Sorcha Eastwood, the Alliance MP for LaganValley in Northern Ireland, on Trump’s latest comments.

Any elected rep in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK that continues to champion Trump and claims to care about the UK after his shameful and disgusting remarks about our military service needs to do one. Over 400 UK service personnel lost their lives in recent times in Afghanistan. Many more lost limbs, eyesight, mental wellbeing. You don’t get to write-off those lives, that service and those families Trump. Absolutely beneath contempt and beyond offensive.

Good morning. Donald Trump enjoys causing offence but the problem with having a reputation for being outrageous and provocative is that, as people get used to your outrages, you have to go further and further to continue to get a response. We are seeing an example of that this morning.

In his meandering ramble at Davos (a cavalcade of falsehoods, as explained by CNN here), Trump repeated a criticism of Nato he has made before, saying: “What we have gotten out of Nato is nothing, except to protect Europe from the Soviet Union and now Russia.” This was so wrong that even Nigel Farage felt impelled to speak out and say so.

But yesterday, in what could be seen as a retort to the point Farage made, Trump doubled down.

Trump told Fox News that he was not sure Nato allies would be there for the US “if we ever needed them”. He went on:

We’ve never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them.

They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan … and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.

Even in an age where outrageous comments are pumped out by social media all the time, this hit a new low; in almost every country in the world, dishonouring soldiers who have died in conflict crosses a line.

As Jamie Grierson reports, British politicians have been lining up to criticise the president.

And even ministers seem to have been given licence to speak out. For the last year, Keir Starmer and his team have avoided criticising Trump in public over almost everything. But Stephen Kinnock, the health minister who was doing a media round for the government this morning, did feel confident speaking out – even if he did not really channel the outrage many Britons will feel. Kinnock told Sky News:

President Trump’s comments are deeply disappointing, there is no other way to say that. I don’t know really why he said them. I don’t think there’s any basis for him to make those comments.

Kinnock explained:

Many, many British soldiers and many soldiers from other European Nato allies gave their lives in support of American missions, American-led missions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq …

I think anybody who seeks to criticise what they have done and the sacrifices that they make is plainly wrong. I think the reaction to President Trump’s comments are very clear from right across the political spectrum, and I think the British public feels very strongly about the need to defend our armed forces and to support them in the incredibly important work that they do in the dangerous and turbulent world in which we live.

Starmer himself has not commented yet, but Kinnock said he expected the PM would raise this with Trump directly. “He will, I’m sure, be raising this issue with the president,” Kinnock told LBC.

Here is the agenda for the day.

10am: Peers resume their debate on the assisted dying bill. As Jessica Elgot reports, the bill supporters think filibustering by opponents of the bill mean the legislation has almost no chance of passing before the end of this parliamentary session.

Morning: Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, is on a visit in Essex. Separately, Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is on a visit in Surrey.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Early afternoon: Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, holds a press conference about the hospital infections scandal.

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