January 5, 2026 • 6 mins
The UK Prime Minister is in an awkward position following the US’ action in Venezuela.
President Nicolas Maduro was taken in a US military operation over the weekend, and is soon to stand trial in New York on drugs and weapons charges.
Keir Starmer told the BBC he will shed no tears over the end of Nicolas Maduro's regime, but is not prepared to comment on the US military action in Venezuela.
But UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Andrew Dickens Starmer is under a lot of pressure to condemn the actions of the US.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm joined by Rod, a little out of the UK.
Good morning to you, Rod, Good morning to you, mate.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Very good? Very good. So everyone's talking about Venezuela. We
just talked to Catherine Field and Paris about the European reaction.
How is the UK feeling about what happened today or yesterday?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Terribly awkward, terribly awkward over here, mate, terribly awkward. So
Keir Starmer was clearly touched up in bed in his
mister Man pajamas. Well, it all took place. But then
maybe twelve hours later he put out a statement saying
that whilst we respect international law, we shed no tears
for the departure of mister Maduro from Venezuela. That was
(00:55):
my Keir Starmer impression. I don't do them very often,
but I thought i'd treat you guys to it. Now
he's got a problem with this, and I think we
all have a problem with this one. Obviously, it was
illegal that you don't invade another country and abduct their leader,
and it doesn't look very good when you're supposed to
(01:16):
be persuading Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine wasn't a very
good idea. So there's that on one side. On the
other side is the fact that Keir Starmer has within
his party a whole host of certifiable morons who think
that Maduro's reign in Venezuela was absolutely brilliant and Britain
(01:39):
should follow his lead. And there are quite a lot
of them, and you can find them as well in
the Green Party and in Jeremy Corbyn Magic Grandpa's your party,
who are already saying this must be condemned. This is imperialist,
It is an appalling thing to have happened. So the
pressure is right on him to become more and more
(02:05):
to condemn it the action of the US, far more
than he has done so far, and those pressures will continue.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, but come on, America is saying, we haven't invaded
the country. All we did was we've made an arrest.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, well, they dropped bombs on Caracas, owing they abducted,
they abducted the leader. You know, you have to be
able to hold two things which seem to be sort
of contradictory in your mind and they're not contradictory. What
is that this is totally against the law. It shouldn't
have happened. It was a rogue state doing something which
(02:44):
it shouldn't have done. And the second thing is that
the world is a far better place for Maduro being
in prison. You know, both of those are true, and
that is a problem with Kirstarma, and Europe has to
wrestle with Bearing in mind that Starma is also that
the Trump has also renewed his interest in Greenland, and
(03:06):
the UK has announced its support for Denmark. Now everything
must be done with the acknowledgement of the Danish covet cetera,
et cetera, et cetera. So this is a real difficult
time for Starmer.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes it is. And don Trump is on the flow
what he's saying. He said, Cuba's ready to fall and
be a good idea to actually take over Columbia. That
seems a bit dodged. And yeah, Greenland, we really need Greenland.
So he's just thinking on his feet at the moment. Meanwhile,
let's go back to the real Let's go to the
real stuff, you know, the stuff that really affects the
working man, and that is football. And two of your
(03:43):
country's biggest clubs have set their managers on the same day.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
They have, indeed a massive thing to have happened. Presumably
it's the new year and people begin to think, hang on,
and these guys up to it. Firstly, Rubert Amorrim has
been sacked as the manager of Manchester United. Manchester United
have now been in a twenty year spiral of trying
to find someone who could possibly emulate Sir Alex Ferguson
(04:10):
and cannot find anyone. And Ruben Amrim has been sacked
with the club in a respectableish position, you know, above
mid table in the in the in the top division
in the Premier League. But he's been sacked and he's
complained that he hasn't had support and so people are
wondering who will take his place. Leading the charge are
(04:32):
people like Gareth Southgate, the former unsuccessful manager of England.
But also at the same time up in Scotland, Scotland's
biggest club, Celtic, has sacked its manager, Wilfred Nancy, who's
I think the final straw came when they lost at
home to their hated rivals Rangers at the weekend and
(04:56):
are now second and six points behind Hearts in the table,
which is kind of unheard of. Scotland's league is usually
just Celtic and Rangers and that's it. So there's all
this upheaval and football fans are wondering who will take
over these places various names.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Sorry it meets you already. I mean Manchester United just
needs to score goals. I believe that's what football was about.
And if there is the case, go to Southgate's not
a man.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
No, he most certainly isn't. I think if I were
a Manchester United fan, and I promise you I am
a long way from being a Manchester United fan, he
would be the very last person I would choose. One
of the names in the frame I think is more likely,
and that's Oliver Glasner, who is currently the member of
a club which I can't actually say because they're a
(05:48):
rival club of my club, Crystal Palace. There I said
it just for you.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Oh it's a tough road being British. I have to say, right,
I got to go, and I thank you so much.
Run little of the course out of the UK
Speaker 1 (06:00):
For more from news Talks, it'd be listen live on
or online and keep our shows with you Wherever you
go with our podcast on iront Radio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcast now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm joined by Rod, a little out of the UK.
Good morning to you, Rod, Good morning to you, mate.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Very good? Very good. So everyone's talking about Venezuela. We
just talked to Catherine Field and Paris about the European reaction.
How is the UK feeling about what happened today or yesterday?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Terribly awkward, terribly awkward over here, mate, terribly awkward. So
Keir Starmer was clearly touched up in bed in his
mister Man pajamas. Well, it all took place. But then
maybe twelve hours later he put out a statement saying
that whilst we respect international law, we shed no tears
for the departure of mister Maduro from Venezuela. That was
(00:55):
my Keir Starmer impression. I don't do them very often,
but I thought i'd treat you guys to it. Now
he's got a problem with this, and I think we
all have a problem with this one. Obviously, it was
illegal that you don't invade another country and abduct their leader,
and it doesn't look very good when you're supposed to
(01:16):
be persuading Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine wasn't a very
good idea. So there's that on one side. On the
other side is the fact that Keir Starmer has within
his party a whole host of certifiable morons who think
that Maduro's reign in Venezuela was absolutely brilliant and Britain
(01:39):
should follow his lead. And there are quite a lot
of them, and you can find them as well in
the Green Party and in Jeremy Corbyn Magic Grandpa's your party,
who are already saying this must be condemned. This is imperialist,
It is an appalling thing to have happened. So the
pressure is right on him to become more and more
(02:05):
to condemn it the action of the US, far more
than he has done so far, and those pressures will continue.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, but come on, America is saying, we haven't invaded
the country. All we did was we've made an arrest.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, well, they dropped bombs on Caracas, owing they abducted,
they abducted the leader. You know, you have to be
able to hold two things which seem to be sort
of contradictory in your mind and they're not contradictory. What
is that this is totally against the law. It shouldn't
have happened. It was a rogue state doing something which
(02:44):
it shouldn't have done. And the second thing is that
the world is a far better place for Maduro being
in prison. You know, both of those are true, and
that is a problem with Kirstarma, and Europe has to
wrestle with Bearing in mind that Starma is also that
the Trump has also renewed his interest in Greenland, and
(03:06):
the UK has announced its support for Denmark. Now everything
must be done with the acknowledgement of the Danish covet cetera,
et cetera, et cetera. So this is a real difficult
time for Starmer.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yes it is. And don Trump is on the flow
what he's saying. He said, Cuba's ready to fall and
be a good idea to actually take over Columbia. That
seems a bit dodged. And yeah, Greenland, we really need Greenland.
So he's just thinking on his feet at the moment. Meanwhile,
let's go back to the real Let's go to the
real stuff, you know, the stuff that really affects the
working man, and that is football. And two of your
(03:43):
country's biggest clubs have set their managers on the same day.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
They have, indeed a massive thing to have happened. Presumably
it's the new year and people begin to think, hang on,
and these guys up to it. Firstly, Rubert Amorrim has
been sacked as the manager of Manchester United. Manchester United
have now been in a twenty year spiral of trying
to find someone who could possibly emulate Sir Alex Ferguson
(04:10):
and cannot find anyone. And Ruben Amrim has been sacked
with the club in a respectableish position, you know, above
mid table in the in the in the top division
in the Premier League. But he's been sacked and he's
complained that he hasn't had support and so people are
wondering who will take his place. Leading the charge are
(04:32):
people like Gareth Southgate, the former unsuccessful manager of England.
But also at the same time up in Scotland, Scotland's
biggest club, Celtic, has sacked its manager, Wilfred Nancy, who's
I think the final straw came when they lost at
home to their hated rivals Rangers at the weekend and
(04:56):
are now second and six points behind Hearts in the table,
which is kind of unheard of. Scotland's league is usually
just Celtic and Rangers and that's it. So there's all
this upheaval and football fans are wondering who will take
over these places various names.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Sorry it meets you already. I mean Manchester United just
needs to score goals. I believe that's what football was about.
And if there is the case, go to Southgate's not
a man.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
No, he most certainly isn't. I think if I were
a Manchester United fan, and I promise you I am
a long way from being a Manchester United fan, he
would be the very last person I would choose. One
of the names in the frame I think is more likely,
and that's Oliver Glasner, who is currently the member of
a club which I can't actually say because they're a
(05:48):
rival club of my club, Crystal Palace. There I said
it just for you.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Oh it's a tough road being British. I have to say, right,
I got to go, and I thank you so much.
Run little of the course out of the UK
Speaker 1 (06:00):
For more from news Talks, it'd be listen live on
or online and keep our shows with you Wherever you
go with our podcast on iront Radio.
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