Stop Helping US Bomb Iran, UK Union Bosses Tell Andy Burnham

Prime minister Andy Burnham must revoke permission for the US to use British bases for airstrikes against Iran, union chiefs have said.

In an open letter sent last week, ten trade union leaders representing more than 2.3 million workers said that the war is making life harder for Britons and undermining Burnham’s cost of living pledges.

The illegal US-Israel war on Iran has disrupted the global food chain and energy supplies, sending household bills soaring. 

The union bosses noted that British households have seen their annual energy bills rise by £221 since the war began on 28 February, while monthly food bills are forecast to increase by £32.80. “Opposing this war is a necessity if the cost of living agenda is to succeed,” they wrote.

The letter was signed by the general secretaries of Unison, the National Education Union, the Communication Workers Union, the RMT, the PCS, the University and College Union, Equity, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union and the Fire Brigades Union.

Burnham has allowed US air strikes to be conducted from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean.

“Revoking permission for the US to use these bases would have a significant impact on the US’ ability to further escalate a war that has been a catastrophe for people in the Middle East and an economic disaster for the world,” the letter said.

“We urge the prime minister to vocally and actively oppose the war and to revoke the UK’s approval of US air strikes from British territories. Most of the British public oppose these air strikes. Opposing this war is a necessity if the cost of living agenda is to succeed.”

During a trip to the US last week, UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband repeated the government’s claim that UK bases are only being used for “defensive” strikes, despite the fact the US-led war was unprovoked and has no basis in international law.  

“We did not join offensive action in this war. We’ve allowed our bases to be used for defence by our allies, our Gulf allies, and that’s absolutely the right thing to do,” he said during a meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.