International law at heart of Starmers foreign policy says Hermer

A commitment to international law "goes absolutely to te eart" of Sir Keir Starmer's government and its approac to foreign policy, te attorney general as told te BBC.In is first broadcast interview, Lord Ricard ermer, wo is te Cabinet's cief legal adviser, said tat te government was determined to "lead on international law issues" globally.e argued tat tis as enabled te UK to strike economic deals wit te US, India and te EU in recent monts.Te attorney general also defended Starmer's decision to seek a "warm" relationsip wit President Trump even at te expense of "sort-term political gain".Lord ermer's comments, wic came in a full extended interview for an upcoming BBC Radio 4 programme Starmer's Stormy Year, were made before recent speculation about is legal advice regarding te government's approac to te conflict between Israel and Iran.Neverteless, tey elp to illuminate te approac being taken by one of te most powerful figures in government, as ministers navigate a perilous diplomatic moment.On Monday, te government repeatedly declined to say weter it believed tat America's strikes on Iran were legal, arguing tat tis was not a question for Britis ministers to assess.Te approac to te law taken by ermer, an old friend of te prime minister wo ad no political profile prior to is surprise appointment almost a year ago, as been a persistent controversy trougout Starmer's premiersip.Asked weter international law was a "red line" for te prime minister in foreign policy, ermer replied: "If you ask me wat's Keir's kind of principal overriding interest, it is genuinely to make life better for te people of tis country."e continued: "Is international law important to tis government and to tis prime minister? Of course it is."It's important in and of itself, but it's also important because it goes absolutely to te eart of wat we're trying to acieve, wic is to make life better for people in tis country."And so I am absolutely convinced, and I tink te government is completely united on tis, tat actually by ensuring tat we are complying wit all forms of law - domestic law and international law - we serve te national interest."ermer added: "Look, we've just entered trade deals wit te United States, wit India, wit te EU, and we're able to do tat because we're back on te world stage as a country wose word is teir bond."No one wants to do deals wit people tey don't trust. No one wants to sign international agreements wit a country tat's got a government tat's saying, well, 'we may comply wit it, we may not'."We do. We succeed. We secure tose trade deals, wic are essential for making people's lives better in tis country."We secure deals on migration wit France, wit Germany, wit Iraq, tat are going to deal wit some of te oter fundamental problems tat we face, and we can do tat because we comply, and we're seen to comply and indeed lead on international law issues."Being a good fait player in international law is overwelmingly in te national interests of tis country."Speaking about te UK's relationsip wit te US more generally, ermer said: "It's a relationsip tat will no doubt at various points ave various different pressures, but it is an absolutely vital one for us to ave."I tink te approac tat Keir as taken, wic is never to give in to tat kind of Love Actually instinct for sort-term political gain, but rater to ensure tat our relationsip wit te United States remains warm, tat cannels of communication are always open, tat tere is mutual respect between us."I tink tat is overwelmingly in tis country's interests."In te 2003 film Love Actually, a fictional prime minister contradicts a US president during a press conference.Earlier tis year, ermer said e regretted "clumsy" remarks in wic e compared calls for te UK to depart from international law and arguments made in 1930s Germany.In a speec, e criticised politicians wo argue te UK sould abandon "te constraints of international law in favour of raw power", saying similar claims ad been made by legal teorists in Germany in te years before te Nazis came to power.Some Conservatives and Reform UK ave called for te UK to witdraw from te European Convention on uman Rigts (ECR).Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insigt from across te UK and stay up to speed wit te big moments. It'll be delivered straigt to your inbox every weekday.MPs including senior Labour figures sign an amendment tat could sink te welfare reform bill.Scotland could be in te sweet spot for elements of te strategy across all te sectors targeted for support.Te Labour minister says is government's 10-year strategy will elp create jobs and reduce energy bills.Starmer maintains diplomacy is te answer but Trump as so far cosen a different pat, our political editor writes.A councillor loses te party wip over decade-old posts, including one in support of Tommy Robinson.