Cyprus begs Labour to 'Farage-proof' British military bases and STOP Donald Trump using them if Reform UK wins power

Cyprus is pleading with Labour to "Farage-proof" the two British military bases on the island amid fears Reform UK will win the next General Election.

An Iranian drone struck RAF Akrotiri in March - sparking panic in the island nation over whether it would be in the firing line in future.

Sir Keir Starmer declined Donald Trump's request to launch offensive airstrikes on Iran from Cyprus in the following days.

He did, however, allow American forces to use them for "specific and limited" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Now, fears are rising that a future Reform Government might be more willing to let the Americans use the bases.

"It's understandable that allies are concerned about the UK's reliability should Farage become Prime Minister," one British official sneered to Politico.

As a result, Cyprus is sniffing out binding commitments which would stop Britain from acting without its sign-off on military matters.

A senior Cypriot diplomatic source confirmed last night the matter will be raised with Labour once the conflict in the Middle East comes to an end.

British officials have opened the door to security cooperation with Nicosia.

Though one appeared firm that Britain's sovereignty over the bases would not be at risk.

"It's grounded in some fundamentals of international law which, if you start to unpick it, it becomes quite messy quite quickly," a Government official said.

Reform unveiled elements of its defence policy on Monday after consulting with security and intelligence specialists ahead of the next General Election.

"Reform UK supports the continued strategic importance of the British bases in Cyprus and Britain's sovereign right to decide how they are used," a party spokesman confirmed.

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"Nigel Farage has been unequivocally clear Britain should not be dragged into unnecessary foreign wars - but nor should we pretend we can project strength abroad after years of Labour and Conservative cuts to our armed forces."

Although the next election is not anticipated until 2029, Mr Farage's party is gearing up for a potential early contest amid a potential Labour leadership challenge.

After the March drone hit, Mr Farage, a close ally of the US President, backed offensive strikes on Iran from the bases - before rowing back as the war rumbled on.

"If we can't even defend Cyprus, let's not get ourselves involved in another foreign war," the Reform leader eventually said.

Protests broke out in Nicosia, with furious locals saying British presence made it a target and the British military could no longer protect the island sufficiently.

Signs were held emblazoned with messages including "Cyprus is NOT your launchpad" and "Stop the war".

Cyprus then began agitating for "Chagos-style" talks over the future of the bases - which the EU swiftly backed.

Nicosia also complained at what it saw as inadequate communication from the UK over the drone incident, or whether the base was involved in strikes on Iran.

President Nikos Christodoulides demanded discussions over the future of the so-called "colonial" bases.

The European Council acknowledged in March that Cyprus intended to open dialogue with Britain on the matter, declaring it was "ready to provide assistance as needed".

Britain has meanwhile bolstered its defences at its bases in recent months.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed additional radar systems, counter-drone capabilities and fast jets had been sent east in the months since January.

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