Keir Starmer could do more to secure Ukraine victory than Tories, war hero-turned Labour candidate says

LABOUR could do even more to help Ukraine secure victory against the Russians than the current government, a war hero turned Labour hopeful has vowed.

Britain has won plaudits for leading the West on responding to Putin's brutal invasion, but former Royal Marine Colonel Alastair Carns said Sir Keir Starmer will "double down" if he wins.

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The decorated veteran resigned from the military last week in a bid to become a Labour MP after next month’s election.

In his first major interview, he told Never Mind the Ballots: “There will be no change in policy. 

"If nothing else, there will be a doubling down on the support of Ukraine."

“Whether that’s building international consensus in Europe, gifting of equipment and capability, so Labour is fully in behind this.”

Carns change of career came after 24 years of glittering service, choosing now to fight the Birmingham Selly Oak constituency on July 4.

He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions while serving in Afghanistan.

Carns revealed he is comfortable with standing for Labour despite the party just a few years ago under Jeremy Corbyn wanting to leave NATO and abandon our nuclear arsenal.

He added: “Just look what Sir Keir Starmer has done to our party in the past three to four years: he has turned it around.

“National security is now front and centre and that party now I would argue provides the best opportunity for change for the country.”

He dismissed senior figures Angela Rayner and David Lammy voting against renewing Trident under Corbyn’s leadership as “the joys of democracy”.

The comments to The Sun came after Sir Keir was snapped deep in conversation with Ukraine's hero leader at Thursday's D-Day 80-year commemorations in Normandy.

Quizzed by The Sun today, Sir Keir revealed: "I said to President Zelensky that should there be a change of government there will be the same support to Ukraine.

"It's a conversation I had with him when I was in Kyiv last year and I felt it was really important to reassure him that should there be a change of government there won't be a change in approach from the UK side."

He added: "He wanted to engage in that because obviously you know we've been a huge part of the support into Ukraine and rightly so. And for him to be reassured that that won't change was important.

"It was an important opportunity for me to have that discussion with him and we were quite intensely locked into that discussion, because it's so important to him."

Meanwhile, Carns said Rishi Sunak for missing part of the D-Day commemorations was "a mistake".

He joined Mr Sunak's own Veterans' Minister who also conceded the PM dashing early was "a significant mistake".

The PM has since issued a grovelling apology.

Mr Carns said: “I don’t want to get into party politics on this.  The reality is it’s one of the most important days in the military calendar.”

Carns, who has served as an adviser for three Defence Secretaries,  added that the D-Day commemorations needs to be shown respect from the “entire country”.

He added:  “Leaving early was a mistake but I’m pretty sure the Prime Minister acknowledges that.” 

Carns added that the UK should have been "represented throughout.”

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