Sir Keir Starmer has said his government must “remake our country” in order to ensure Britain is not “at the mercy of events abroad”, amid the economic fallout of war in the Middle East.
The prime minister is visiting Gulf allies this week as he seeks to join international efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s blockade of the key shipping route in retaliation to US strikes on Tehran has seen oil prices soar across the globe in recent weeks, sparking fears of its impact on the cost of living in the UK.
Writing in The Guardian, Sir Keir said the outbreak of war should serve as a warning for Britain to “build resilience” both at home and with European allies.
“Britain has been buffeted by crises for nearly two decades now,” he wrote, referring to the 2008 financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid, the war in Ukraine and Liz Truss’ disastrous mini budget.
“This time, it will be different. The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand, because how we emerge from this crisis will define all of us for a generation. And instead of hoping to return to the world of 2008, we will forge a new path for Britain – one that strengthens our energy, our defence and our economic security in a new age.”
He added that resilience has been “at the heart” of his approach to the war in order to avoid economic pressure on families in Britain.
“That is why, alongside our actions in the region, we’ve capped energy bills and invested heavily in the homegrown energy that can free us from the tyrants who manipulate gas prices,” he wrote.
“It is why, alongside staying out of the conflict, we’ve rebuilt our European alliances and boosted our defence capacity with the biggest sustained investment since the cold war.”
Sir Keir spoke to Donald Trump on Thursday night about the need for a “practical plan” to get shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz after a two week conditional ceasefire was announced.
It came shortly after the prime minister criticised the US president over the knock-on effects of the Iran conflict, saying he was “fed up” with bills going up in the UK “because of the actions of Putin or Trump”.
He told ITV’s Talking Politics Podcast: “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.”
Sir Keir is set to head back to the UK on Friday after visiting Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week to discuss efforts to reopen the strait.
He said the ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must have “toll-free navigation” as part of the ceasefire amid reports Iran wants to charge for passage.
The ceasefire agreement, announced earlier this week, soon came under strain as Israel’s bombardment of Beirut prompted Iran to close the shipping lane again amid disagreement over whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire.
Asked whether he viewed the critical strait as now being open, he said: “There are a lot of things being said – they need to be tested” and that the UK’s position is that “open” means “open for safe navigation”.
“That means toll-free navigation and vessels can get through,” he told Talking Politics.
