Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves for focusing on Donald Trump's decision to go to war in Iran rather than addressing the cost of living crisis at home. Badenoch accused Reeves of using the conflict as a distraction from rising energy bills and inflation.
Reeves had earlier told the BBC that she was 'angry' about Trump's decision to start a war in the Middle East without a clear exit plan. She said the government was monitoring the situation closely and working to secure oil and gas supplies to keep prices down.
Badenoch argued that the government should prioritise domestic economic pressures over foreign policy disputes. She said the chancellor's comments showed Labour was out of touch with the struggles facing British households.
The UK has convened 35 countries, excluding the US, to explore ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route blocked by Iran. Meanwhile, the government is preparing a targeted energy support package for later this year, which the Greens have criticised as insufficient.
