Keir Starmer has expressed frustration with the effects of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's actions on UK energy prices, appearing to draw a comparison between the US president and the Russian leader. The prime minister told ITV’s Robert Peston that he was “fed up” with families and businesses seeing their bills fluctuate because of events abroad.
Starmer and Trump spoke 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 said the leaders agreed that now a ceasefire is in place, they must focus on getting vessels moving again as quickly as possible.
The prime minister also condemned Benjamin Netanyahu for continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon, despite Iran calling for Lebanon’s inclusion in the ceasefire agreed on 7 April. “That should stop – that’s my strong view,” Starmer said, adding that the attacks were “wrong”.
Relations between the UK and the US have been strained since the war with Iran began in late February. Trump has mocked Starmer, sharing a video from SNL UK that portrayed the prime minister as scared of the US president, and stating that he is “no Winston Churchill”. Trump has also belittled Emmanuel Macron and threatened Pedro Sánchez with trade sanctions and military action over Spanish bases.
Writing in the Guardian, Starmer said he wanted Britain to be “a country where people are not at the mercy of events abroad”. He promised that his government would not simply manage crises but would “do better”, adding: “The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand.”
