‘Time to end the US's unaccountable military presence in Britain’

Peace campaigners call for further removal of US forces after its bombers withdraw from RAF Fairford

Politics / 5 October 2026 Zionists attack Green Party after members vote to brand the ideology racist 5 October 2026 Childcare / 5 October 2026 Campaigners demand end to non-consensual adoptions 5 October 2026 ‘Science’ / 5 October 2026 Countdown to space-aged whisky 5 October 2026 Education / 5 October 2026 Poor pupil behaviour having a significant impact on teachers’ physical health 5 October 2026 Workers' Rights / 5 October 2026 NUJ welcomes Met Police confirmation that journalists’ data is no longer retained 5 October 2026 Monarchy / 5 October 2026 Mountbatten-Windsor taking legal action against Thames Valley Police over search warrants 5 October 2026 ANTI-WAR campaigners have called for the further removal of US militarism from Britain after the country’s bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford.

Downing Street insisted the site remains safe following the withdrawal, despite initial reports linking it to recent threats against the base.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later downplayed the move, saying: “It’s not unusual to see movement of assets to different parts of the world based on exercises, redeployments, people changing out and new people coming in, new planes coming in and old planes going out.”

Six men have been arrested over the past week in connection with a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, which had been hosting US bombers involved in strikes against Iran after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer permitted Washington to use British bases for “defensive” operations.

Counter-terror police said petrol but no explosive devices were found in vans that sparked the security alert.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament general secretary Sophie Bolt welcomed the removal of the B-1 bombers from the site, saying it was “something we have long campaigned for.”

“This also extends the extends to the removal of US nuclear weapons — now stationed at RAF Lakenheath — US fighter jets, personnel and US military control of RAF bases,” she said.

“It’s time to end the uncontrolled and unaccountable foreign military presence in this country.”

In response to concerns about an attack in Britain, Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German told Radio 2: “The reason that there is any talk of attack is precisely because [of] what the US keeps doing.

“And war after war, [Britain] supports them.

“Even [in] this war [on Iran], which the Starmer government and now Andy Burnham both say they don’t want to be part of, we are involved.

“Let’s be honest about these bases, these are effectively US bases.”

Ms German added: “We pay a huge amount to be in lockstep with the United States over defence.

“What is certainly the case is that we have made the world a much more dangerous place.

“Look at Afghanistan, complete failure. Look at Iraq, a complete failure. Look at what is now going on in Iran, complete failure.

“And we cannot then just turn round and say: ‘Oh, what a shock! Iran is talking about doing something’ — and we don’t know [if] that is the case.

“We should be saying that there is something fundamentally wrong with the foreign policy that has been adopted round the war on terror.”

Writer Tariq Ali called the withdrawal a “very public performance,” posting on X: “This is probably little more than a bullying tactic designed to put more pressure on the British government to do its bidding, regardless of the weakness of this particular case.

“Britain is the European centre of the US war machine and RAF Fairford, its home base.”

The Peace and Justice Project said it was a “welcome step in ending Britain’s role as a staging ground” for US President Donald Trump’s “imperialist atrocities around the world.”

“We hope this leads to further demilitarisation and the swift removal of US nuclear weapons and personnel from Britain,” it said.

Policing / 2 October 2026 Sixth person arrested over RAF Fairford plot 2 October 2026 Editorial / 30 September 2026 Irresponsible scaremongering over the RAF Fairford incident incites racism and war 30 September 2026 Iran War / 14 August 2026 ‘To keep Britain safe, Burnham must end US use of British bases’ 14 August 2026 Peace activists and trade unionists to gather at RAF Fairford to protest against US bombers taking off from Britain to strike Iran