Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended signing a leaders’ statement at the G7 summit praising the US President Donald Trump’s actions on Iran.
Speaking to ITV News, the prime minister said he signed the statement because "the deal is a good thing" and an "opportunity for a new chapter" in the conflict in the Middle East.
The statement signed by the PM and other G7 leaders and published on Wednesday praises the president’s "strong leadership" over the latest Iran-US peace deal, and describes a "historic opportunity" for peace in the region.
The question of the prime minister’s leadership has continued to dog his premiership, with an upcoming by-election in Makerfield on Thursday potentially paving the way for the current Mayor of Greater Manchester to challenge Starmer for the keys to No 10.
Last week ITV News conducted a focus group with voters in Makerfield, who all cited a deep dislike of the prime minister, in some cases more so than his party.
Pushed on this unpopularity, Starmer said: "We had an election two years ago, which we won with a landslide victory to change this country, and that’s what we’re getting on and doing.
"I get up every day to work with the government to improve the lives of millions of people, that’s why I came into politics."
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