United Kingdom in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
In March 2026 British politics was dominated by the government's position on the war involving Iran. On 1 March Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the UK had accepted a US request to use British bases for defensive strikes on Iranian missile sites, and on 2 March he defended the decision not to join US-Israeli strikes, saying he was acting in Britain's national interest. Donald Trump criticised him repeatedly, saying he was 'no Winston Churchill', and the two held their first call on 8 March. On 16 March Starmer ruled out a NATO mission in the Strait of Hormuz, and Germany and France also declined. On 20 March the UK allowed the US to use its bases for strikes on Iranian missile sites and other threats to shipping in the strait; Iran said this amounted to participation in aggression. Iran fired missiles at Diego Garcia on 21 March, which Iran denied. Starmer said on 23 March there was no evidence Iran was targeting Britain with long-range missiles, and on 30 March he said the war is 'not our war'.
A second story was the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Files released on 11 March showed that aides had warned Starmer of the reputational risk because of Mandelson's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein; the documents reportedly contradict Starmer's statement that all rules were followed. Police were reported to be investigating an email from Mandelson to Epstein. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for Starmer's resignation on 18 March, and more than 100 Labour MPs warned him over a planned assisted dying bill.
Relations with other states also made news. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu made the first Nigerian state visit in 37 years from 17 to 19 March, with a £746 million port investment deal and an agreement on deporting failed asylum seekers. Russia summoned the British and French ambassadors over a Storm Shadow strike on Bryansk, and later called Britain's detention of its vessels a hostile act.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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