Labour’s top legal adviser has sparked fresh anger and calls for his removal by saying adhering to international law ‘goes absolutely to the heart’ of Keir Starmer’s foreign policy aims.

Lord Hermer said ministers were ‘united’ on the need to comply with ‘with all forms of law’, saying it was vital to revitalising the UK on the world stage.

It comes amid ongoing questions about the influence of the human rights lawyer on the government headed by his old friend Sir Keir, with claims he is trying to set policy rather than provide advice.

The PM is currently under pressure to beef up his government’s lukewarm support for the strikes by Donald Trump’s US against nuclear targets in Iran.  

Critics warned that ministers had been left ‘paralysed’ over the issue after Lord Hermer advised that joining Israel’s attacks on Iran, which began 11 days ago, would break international law, something that is disputed.  

Foreign Secretary David Lammy repeatedly refused to say yesterday that the strikes were the ‘right thing to do’ and told MPs the issue of British support was not a ‘binary question’. 

Although Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden toughened up the government’s stance this morning, Nato and Germany offered full-throated backing from the start.  

And Hermer has been accused of playing a major role in ‘surrendering’ the Chagos Islands, the UK’s last territory in the Indian Ocean, to adhere to a non-binding ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Lord Hermer should be sacked, saying: ‘Attorneys General are legal advisers, not policy makers. 

Lord Hermer said ministers were 'united' on the need to comply with 'with all forms of law', saying it was vital to revitalising the UK on the world stage.

Lord Hermer said ministers were ‘united’ on the need to comply with ‘with all forms of law’, saying it was vital to revitalising the UK on the world stage.

The PM is currently under pressure to beef up his government's lukewarm support for the strikes by Donald Trump's US against nuclear targets in Iran.

The PM is currently under pressure to beef up his government’s lukewarm support for the strikes by Donald Trump’s US against nuclear targets in Iran.

Critics warned that ministers had been left 'paralysed' over the issue after Lord Hermer advised that joining Israel 's attacks on Iran, which began 11 days ago, would break international law.

Critics warned that ministers had been left ‘paralysed’ over the issue after Lord Hermer advised that joining Israel ‘s attacks on Iran, which began 11 days ago, would break international law.

‘Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary couldn’t answer basic questions, but Lord Hermer is waxing lyrical well beyond his brief. 

‘The Attorney is not there to run foreign policy or call people Nazis. His position is untenable.’

Speaking to the BBC before the latest Middle East conflict kicked off, Lord Hermer said: ‘Is international law important to this government and to this prime minister? Of course it is.

‘It’s important in and of itself, but it’s also important because it goes absolutely to the heart of what we’re trying to achieve, which is to make life better for people in this country.

‘And so I am absolutely convinced, and I think the government is completely united on this, that actually by ensuring that we are complying with all forms of law – domestic law and international law – we serve the national interest.’

He added: ‘No one wants to do deals with people they don’t trust. No one wants to sign international agreements with a country that’s got a government that’s saying, well, ‘we may comply with it, we may not’.

‘We do. We succeed. We secure those trade deals, which are essential for making people’s lives better in this country.

‘We secure deals on migration with France, with Germany, with Iraq, that are going to deal with some of the other fundamental problems that we face, and we can do that because we comply, and we’re seen to comply and indeed lead on international law issues.

‘Being a good faith player in international law is overwhelmingly in the national interests of this country.’

Mrs Badenoch earlier said it was ‘quite extraordinary’ that ministers were unable to side with the United States against a regime which MI5 says has attempted 20 plots on British soil in the past three years. 

The Tory leader said Labour’s attempt to sit on the fence showed ‘a complete absence of moral clarity and, in fact, moral courage’.

She said she was clear that the US bombing raid was legal, after the shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson advised that aiding Israel was in line with international law because a key ally was facing a ‘genocidal threat’ from Iran’s nuclear programme.

Nato chief Mark Rutte said the US bombing raid did not break international law – and said that his ‘biggest fear’ was that Iran’s murderous regime would acquire a nuclear weapon.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there was ‘no reason to criticise what America did at the weekend,’ adding: ‘Yes, it is not without risk. But leaving things as they were was not an option either.’

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