SKY News

The leader of the Conservative Party is facing calls to apologise after she suggested the UK military are "just hanging around" rather than taking the necessary action in the Middle East.

Kemi Badenoch said there was a need to reduce the capability of Iran to attack British bases, adding that the UK is currently just "catching arrows".

Defence Secretary John Healey said her comments "insults the men and women of our Armed Forces" and that she should apologise.

On Saturday, the leader of the Opposition said she was "not going to apologise" for criticising the government's refusal to order the RAF to target Iranian missile launchers, rather than intercepting rockets and drones once they're in the air.

While she didn't directly refer to her "hanging around" remark, she hit out at Mr Healey, saying she would never criticise British troops or service personnel.

Speaking at the Conservative Party's spring conference in Harrogate, Ms Badenoch said: "I think that it is a disgrace that rather than get a grip and get HMS Dragon out of Portsmouth, our defence secretary is busy criticising me and trying to make it look like I'm criticising our troops. I would never do that."

Ms Badenoch originally said on Friday that there needed to be an effort to stop missiles from being launched, instead of just focusing on shooting them down

"You can't always wait for people to attack you. Sometimes you have to make sure that you get there first to stop their ability to hurt your citizens," she said.

"They're not doing enough...What they're doing is catching arrows," she told BBC Breakfast.

"It's not working. We need to actually make sure our bases aren't being hit." 

Pressed on whether she supported firing on Iranian missile bases, she said she did, adding: "What else are our jets doing, just hanging around there?

"They need to be able to see who is attacking us and stop them from firing at British soldiers or even British people in hotels."

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, said RAF jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests.

The UK has already given the US permission to use British bases to carry out defensive strikes against Iran's missile facilities.

The controversy comes as Ms Badenoch launches her most scathing attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to date, calling him a "political hostage, held at the behest of a load of half-rate left-wing MPs".

In a speech at the Conservative spring conference in Harrogate today, the Tory leader will accuse the prime minister of "sitting on the fence" while the rest of the world rearms.