A FORMER foreign secretary claimed the so-called special relationship with the US was “damaged” and that Donald Trump does not respect Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir James Cleverly branded the Prime Minister “indecisive” today as he travelled to the Gulf to join discussions for a ceasefire between the US and Iran.

“It’s quite clear now that President Trump does not respect Keir Starmer at all,” the Conservative shadow housing secretary said.

“You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time. The US has seen that. His personal relationship with the president of the US, I think, is now beyond repair.

“I worry that that system-to-system relationship has been damaged, because Keir Starmer basically is such a weak and ineffective leader.”

He later added: “As a former foreign secretary, I find that genuinely heartbreaking. He has made this country a second-tier country when it comes to international relations.”

Labour chair MP Anna Turley hit back, claiming that if the Tories were in power Britain would be further involved in the war.

She said: “Badenoch’s top team can try to rewrite history all they like — the truth is that if Kemi Badenoch were prime minister, Britain would have been thrust head first into war without a plan.

“That’s not leadership, that’s a fundamental failure of judgment that would have seen our armed forces put in harm’s way.

“While Kemi Badenoch continues to prove she’s out of her depth and, alongside Nigel Farage, is completely unfit for high office, Keir Starmer continues to offer calm-headed leadership at home and abroad and is focussed on easing the cost of living.”

Sir Keir’s trip follows an escalation of words which culminated in the US president saying “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran does not stop blocking passage of the Strait of Hormuz.

An agreement was reached hours before a deadline imposed by Mr Trump, which saw the leaders of both countries confirm a two-week ceasefire and the resumption of shipping through the strait.

Peace campaigners and MPs have accused the Prime Minister of hypocrisy as the government has given the US permission to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.

MP Diane Abbott told the Star this week that Sir Keir has supported the US war with “intelligence, air strikes, a destroyer and now troops.”