642 died beside our allies – PM's tribute after JD Vance's 'hasn't fought a war' jibe

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to UK troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq during Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament.

The Prime Minister's comments come a day after US Vice President JD Vance was accused of disrespecting UK troops by referring to "a random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years", during an interview on Fox News, angering many British MPs and veterans.  

Sir Keir made no direct reference to the Mr Vance's controversial remarks as he remembered individual soldiers who gave their lives serving their country.

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"Tomorrow marks 13 years since six young British soldiers were on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive, tragically killing them all," he said.

"These men fought and died for their country, our country and across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside our allies.

"Many more were wounded. We will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice."

Mr Vance's remarks come at a time when the US has suspended military aid to Ukraine and is calling on other Nato nations to step up their defence commitments.

In response to the backlash, he said he "didn't even mention the UK or France" in the Fox News clip, "both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years and beyond".

The Prime Minister is treading a fine line as he attempts bridge-building between the US and Ukraine following the ugly public spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

The UK and France are discussing the option of a peacekeeping presence in Ukraine, in the event of a successful peace deal, which President Trump has promised to broker.

Both countries have extensive experience of deployments to Afghanistan when they backed the US militarily following the 9/11 attacks.

Despite differing views over Ukraine, the Prime Minister says the US is still a "reliable ally".

The UK has played an active role in 10 conflicts in the last 43 years.