In January 2024, the UK along with the United States began airstrikes on Yemen aiming to weaken the Houthi group. This was done in retaliation to the attacks by the Houthis on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, where they targeted military and commercial vessels in response to Israel's war on Gaza. There have been British airstrikes on 14 separate days from 11 January to the last being on 27 July.
One local says rather than deterring attacks, these airstrikes “will likely instigate them to step up their operations in the Red Sea”.
The airstrikes were meant to “degrade their ability to persist with their attacks on international shipping” according to a statement made by the UK Ministry of Defence. The perception from Yemenis says something very different. One local says rather than deterring attacks, these airstrikes “will likely instigate them to step up their operations in the Red Sea”. Since the recent engagement from the UK and US, civilians not only fear for their lives but also suffer from issues such as increase in prices of imported goods, restrictions on money transfers and reduction of humanitarian aid in Houthi-controlled areas. The strikes meant to degrade the attacks are instead degrading the ability of the civilian population to maintain normalcy.
It is true that decisions to do with security often are time-sensitive, however, the lack of both Yemeni civilian consideration and parliamentary consultation when making the initial decision to engage deteriorated the trust between the people and the leadership in the UK. This lack of consultation was challenged by the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, and Plaid Cymru who argued Parliament should have been consulted before the 11 January airstrikes. This political dysfunction in decision making, exemplified by bypassing parliamentary scrutiny in critical security matters, is part of a broader trend of political instability in the country. The resignation of two prime ministers during one term in 2022, as well as national riots further highlight a government struggling with coherent governance and leadership. These internal political crises have not gone unnoticed on the global stage, with an article from the Sydney Morning Herald calling it “the rise of politicians ill-prepared and ill-suited to high office”.
These exertions of military power in foreign territory, where decisions are made without regard for local population or international consequences point to the country’s imperialist past.
However, this was not the first time the UK Prime Minister has sidestepped the government in conflict related decisions. For example, interventions such as the 2011 deployment of the Royal Air Force in Libya by Prime Minister David Cameron or Prime Minister Theresa May bypassing parliamentary approval completely to order airstrikes on Syria in 2018 show that Sunak’s decision is not a one off but part of an emerging pattern. These exertions of military power in foreign territory, where decisions are made without regard for local population or international consequences point to the country’s imperialist past. While the UK is not colonising territories, its foreign interventions still reflect a desire to control and influence regions for strategic interests, similar to its colonial mindset.
The recent British airstrikes in Yemen highlight a troubling trend of leadership in the UK bypassing parliamentary oversight, echoing the imperialist tendencies of the past. The government’s approach, prioritising military intervention over the well-being of civilians risks the nation repeating some of its dark history. In the future, the UK must accept accountability and ensure local context and the wider impact is considered when making foreign policy decisions if it ever hopes to regain trust.