Labour civil war erupts over the deployment of key Royal Navy warship

The Labour cabinet is split on whether to allow a Royal Navy warship to sail through the Taiwan Strait to send a message to China. Opinions within Keir Starmer's government are divided on the wisdom of allowing HMS Richmond to sail through the Strait which separates China and Taiwan, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy understood to be worried doing so could anger Beijing.

HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate, Is part of a strike group escorting the £3 billion aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on its deployment to the Far East. Defence Secretary John Healey is keen to use the deployment to allow HMS Richmond to exercise its freedom of navigation rights in a message to China. It is understood that the decision on whether the ship will be permitted to sail through the contested waters will be passed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.

A military source told the Times: "Lammy doesn't want to annoy the Chinese but Healey wants it to happen."

China has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and thus the Taiwan Strait, and regularly conducts military exercises in the region, an act perceived as hostile by the Taiwanese government.

Earlier this year, the Royal Navy sailed HMS Spey through the Strait as part of a "long-panned deployment" which it said was in accordance with international law.

HMS Spey is a River-class offshore patrol vehicle, a much smaller and less capable vessel than HMS Richmond.

Following the sailing, China labelled the act as "disruptive" and an "intentional provocation" while Taiwan welcomed the decision.

Any decision to sail HMS Richmond, a vessel armed with medium guns and torpedoes, would likely draw a much stronger reaction from Beijing who deployed military forces to track and monitor the movement of HMS Richmond when it passed through the Taiwan Strait in 2021.

The government have attempted to improve relations with China since coming to power with both Lammy andRachel Reeves visiting the country within the last 12 months.

In April, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the most senior military officer, became the first chief of the defence staff to visit the country in a decade.

A UK government spokeswoman told the Times: "The foreign and defence secretaries are working hand in glove to support our carrier strike group deployment, having visited it together in Darwin, Australia, just weeks ago.

"These deployments demonstrate the UK's commitment to supporting international security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen our defence partnerships and boost trade ties, directly supporting our national security and the government's plan for change by boosting trade and supporting economic growth in the UK."

She added: "For operational security reasons, we do not routinely comment on detailed ship movements or specific routing decisions. All decisions are made in the national interest."