KEIR STARMER must stick to the anti-war policies he spoke of during his Labour leadership campaign, Stop the War said today.

The Holborn MP promised to bring forward a Prevention of Military Intervention Act that would “put human rights at the heart of foreign policy” and see an end to illegal wars.

The Act would make the legal case for military conflict and approval from the House of Commons a necessity before action is taken. 

Like his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Starmer was an opponent of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and joined protesters on demos.

But the Stop the War Coalition said it was “disappointing” that he had appointed Lisa Nandy as shadow foreign secretary, adding that she has a mixed voting record on military intervention and a lack of experience in foreign affairs. 

The group said: “Polling shows Stop the War is one of the most popular campaigns amongst Labour members and we were disappointed foreign affairs was not given more time during the long leadership campaign.

“We regret too that the candidates most clearly associated with Jeremy Corbyn’s political positions, Rebecca Long Bailey and Richard Burgon, were defeated.

“Jeremy Corbyn had the clearest anti-war politics of any Labour leader historically and regularly restated his opposition to military interventions in office.”