Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the government “will step in” if fuel companies “try to rip off customers”, as a trade body reversed its decision to boycott a meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) initially withdrew from the meeting, citing concerns that “inflammatory language” from ministers had led to abuse of retail staff by the public. However, the PRA later deleted its posts on X and confirmed it would attend the meeting.
Speaking ahead of the Downing Street meeting, Starmer warned petrol retailers against profiteering amid the Iran war. Reeves has also asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to “crack down” on “rip off” fuel prices, stating she “will not tolerate” any company exploiting the Middle East crisis “to make excess profits at customers’ expense”.
In other developments, the UK government has declined to follow the US in temporarily waiving sanctions on Russian oil, with Downing Street saying Britain and its partners should maintain collective pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, RAF Typhoon jets have extended their operations to protect Bahrain, patrolling the skies for Iranian drones for the first time.
Starmer was in Cork, Republic of Ireland, for the UK-Ireland summit, where he and Taoiseach Micheál Martin released a joint statement on shared prosperity, seas and ties. The Conservative party continued to accuse the government of a “cover-up” over the release of files relating to Peter Mandelson becoming US ambassador, but Energy Minister Michael Shanks rejected the accusations, saying the government has complied fully with MPs' demands.
A photo has emerged showing Mandelson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein together for the first time, released as part of the Epstein files. Additionally, floral tributes were laid on the graves of victims of the 1996 Dunblane massacre, which remains the UK’s deadliest mass shooting.
