Venezuela Row Raises Questions About UK Influence

Venezuela dominated Downing Street’s morning briefing, turning a foreign policy incident into a wider political brawl about influence, Brexit and Scotland. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been speaking directly to Scottish voters, acknowledging their frustration with Westminster and pitching his party on four priority areas. Scottish Labour’s leader Anas Sarwar says the campaign already has £1m to spend and plans an extensive digital effort, aiming to reach a million Scots each week. Starmer also gave an interview to GB News that touched on the Brexit debate. He suggested a claim about extra NHS funding after leaving the EU had links to Nigel Farage. That was incorrect: the £350m-a-week promise was put forward by the Vote Leave campaign led by Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings. Farage later said he did not back that figure. The leader has shifted tack in recent months, more willing to highlight Brexit’s failings after years of avoiding the topic to retain leave voters. Part of his strategy appears aimed at denting Reform UK’s standing — a recent More in Common MRP poll suggested a scenario in which Nigel Farage could become prime minister with a sizable majority. Tory cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the fact Starmer was not consulted by Donald Trump over the arrest of Nicolás Maduro showed he lacks international clout. Critics point out, however, that there is no obvious reason why the UK opposition leader would be briefed on such US actions. Scotland’s deputy first minister, John Swinney, used the moment to remind audiences about how UK foreign policy works. Many international decisions are made under royal prerogative rather than statute, he said, and while Starmer once proposed legislation to require MPs to vote before going to war, that pledge has faded as an immediate priority. MPs can scrutinise treaties under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, but their powers are limited — they can delay, not rewrite, agreements. The episode also underscored a longer truth about prime ministers: foreign policy can make or break them. Half of the post-war premiers who resigned for non-electoral reasons left office under pressure over international issues — Eden, Thatcher, Blair, Cameron and May all felt the strain. Meanwhile the Commons awaits a statement from the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, scheduled for around 5.30pm, after three urgent questions. Westminster will be watching closely to see whether the political heat cools or escalates. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article