Was Keir Starmer’s uncle on a ship hit by a torpedo during the Falklands conflict?

During yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey asked about the status of British overseas territories. In response Sir Keir Starmer said: “My uncle nearly lost his life when his ship was torpedoed defending the Falklands” before confirming his intention the islands would remain British.

We have seen a number of social media users questioning the accuracy of this statement, with many pointing out that the only ship to be sunk by a torpedo during the 1982 conflict was the General Belgrano—an Argentine vessel targeted by the British submarine HMS Conqueror.

As Number 10 has since clarified and others have reported, Mr Starmer’s uncle was serving on HMS Antelope, which sank after being targeted by Argentine aircraft armed with bombs, not torpedoes. 

The ship was hit by two bombs which lodged themselves inside the vessel but did not initially detonate. Later that night, one of the bombs exploded during attempts to defuse it, and it was this blast that caused HMS Antelope to sink. 

We approached Number 10 for comment, and will update this blog if we receive a response.