Sir Keir Starmer has voiced his exasperation with the impact of both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on British household energy bills, drawing a comparison between the US president and the Russian leader. In an interview with ITV’s Robert Peston on Thursday, the prime minister said: “I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses’ bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world.”
Starmer, who has faced criticism from Trump for not committing British forces to the war against Iran, also condemned Benjamin Netanyahu for continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreed on 7 April. “That should stop – that’s my strong view,” he stated, adding that the question was not a technical one of whether it constituted a breach of the agreement.
The prime minister spoke with Trump later on Thursday about the need for a “practical plan” to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the Middle East ceasefire. A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Starmer had discussed his talks with Gulf leaders and military planners, stressing the importance of restoring freedom of navigation. “They agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution,” the spokesperson said.
Writing in the Guardian, Starmer outlined his vision for Britain to be “a country where people are not at the mercy of events abroad.” He criticised previous governments for merely managing crises and promised his administration would take a different approach. “The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand,” he wrote, “because how we emerge from this crisis will define all of us for a generation.”
Starmer’s relationship with allies has been strained since the US and Israel began their war with Iran in late February. Trump has mocked the prime minister, sharing a sketch from SNL UK portraying Starmer as fearful of him, and stating that he is “no Winston Churchill”. Other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Pedro Sánchez, have also faced Trump’s ire.
