Starmer clashes with Trump as US weighs penalties for Nato allies

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted that Nato is “in America’s interest” following suggestions Trump could use an audit to decide whether Britain and its allies should be punished for not assisting the US in the war with Iran.

Revealing he has spoken to Donald Trump on Friday, the Prime Minister reiterated the need for a “practical plan” to get shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the Middle East ceasefire.

The call between the leaders came shortly after the Prime Minister criticised the US president over the knock-on effects of the Iran conflict, saying he was “fed up” with bills going up in the UK “because of the actions of Putin or Trump”.

In a statement on Friday, the Prime Minister said the UK Government will “always be strong supporters” of the military alliance.

It comes as Nato members continue to face pressure from the US over military support directed to the Strait of Hormuz, with claims allies may face consequences for disappointing Trump.

Sir Keir is currently visiting allies in the Gulf for talks on how to support the pause in fighting and secure a permanent reopening of the key shipping strait.

The President’s plans to punish and reward allies are under discussion but one option is to move US troops out of countries deemed to be "less supportive," according to The Times.

The growing tension between the US and Nato comes as Sir Keir Starmer voiced his strongest criticism yet of Trump, saying he was "fed up" with the effect the US leader’s ­actions had on pushing up UK energy bills.

Asked whether he had raised Mr Trump’s threats to withdraw from Nato during the call, Sir Keir told broadcasters: “We’re very strong supporters of Nato and I’ve been making the argument for some considerable time that we need to do more.

“It’s the single most effective military alliance the world has ever known."

The Prime Minister went on to insist that Europe needed to do more, adding: "I’ve been making that argument for the best part of two years, to our European partners as much as anybody else. We continue to make that case and we will make that case.”

Going on to reference the important relationship between Nato and the US, the Prime Minister added: “It is in America’s interests, it’s in European interests. Nato is a defensive alliance, which for decades has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been.

“So we’re strong supporters of Nato. We’ll always be strong supporters of Nato. Do I think this will be a stronger European element to Nato? Yes, and I think we should step into that space. We’re already doing it, which is why we’re co-ordinating strategically with our partners in Nato.”

However, the two leaders spoke on Thursday about "the need for a practical plan to get shipping moving again as quickly as possible" through the shipping route.

The US is said to be planning to audit every member’s contribution to the war effort before deciding who would face a "reckoning," a source told the newspaper.

Trump has hit out at Nato on multiple occasions throughout the war, most recently blasting the alliance as a "paper tiger."

Asked about the audit, a White House spokesperson referred to ­comments by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who said last week: "Why are we in Nato? You have to ask that question.

"Why do we send trillions of dollars and have all of these American forces stationed in the region, if in our time of need we won’t be allowed to use those bases?"

Speaking to the Reagan Institute in Washington, Rubio said Nato had been "tested and failed" and that some allies were slow to respond because Trump had left them out of the loop on his plans.

He said: "Part of the explanation is the fact that the President wanted to maintain the element of surprise, which I totally understand, but that also meant that there was not a lot of prior consultation so then they had to scramble to understand what was happening and then to step up.

"When it comes to the Strait of Hormuz it was Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, who took the leadership role here."

Despite Trump being critical of the British response to the conflict, officials believe the UK had a relatively good record during the conflict, including allowing the use of British bases for defensive airstrikes.

It is believed that Spain is viewed as the most vulnerable and France is considered to be underperforming, when it comes to nations facing possible action from the US.