'We should not be at the mercy of events abroad' - Starmer

The UK must become more resilient to deal with a "volatile and dangerous" world where "shocks" like the conflict in Iran are frequent, the prime minister has warned.

Writing in The Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer said he was "thinking about the long-term, and remaking this country" so that people "are not at the mercy of events abroad".

Separately, he told ITV's Talking Politics podcast he was "fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down... because of the actions of Putin or Trump".

The prime minister is currently on a three-day trip to the Gulf to meet regional allies.

On Wednesday he met the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah and on Thursday he travelled to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

His visit comes as a fragile ceasefire pausing the Iranian conflict has come under strain, with disagreements over whether the truce covered Lebanon.

On Thursday evening, Sir Keir held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Downing Street says the two men discussed the need "for a practical plan to get shipping moving" through the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane that has been effectively closed as a result of the conflict.

The closure of the strait has had an impact on the cost of living in the UK with petrol and food prices driven up.

Speaking to Talking Politics, Sir Keir said the events of the past two months had demonstrated why the UK needed to have "energy independence".

"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 [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or Trump."

In his article for the Guardian newspaper, Sir Keir said Britain had been "buffeted by crises for nearly two decades", citing the 2008 financial crash, Brexit and Covid.

"The response from Westminster has always been the same - manage the crisis, find a sticking plaster and then desperately try to reassert the status quo."

He promised that "this time, it will be different" and that the conflict in Iran "must now become a line in the sand".

He argued that government policies such as investing in renewable energy, strengthening workers' rights and removing the two-child benefit cap would help prepare the country for increased global instability.

"Because resilience is what gives us control. Without it, we are constantly pushed off course by events beyond our borders."

Giving the Mansion House speech in central London, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed the prime minister's sentiments.

"It might be tempting, even comforting, to think that the Iran crisis is a once-in-a-generation shock.

"But this is the third time in six years that international events have sent economic tidal waves around the globe, hitting Britain's shores - the Covid pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and now the Iran conflict.

"Instability and volatility are becoming increasingly chronic and turbulence is the new normal.

"The new reality we face did not begin with the war in Iran, nor will it end with a reopened strait."

Responding to the prime minister's comments, Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: "Keir Starmer says he wants resilience and energy security. So why is he banning North Sea drilling and ducking welfare reform?

"You cannot build a resilient economy by turning your back on British oil and gas workers, handing energy dependence to foreign states, and leaving millions trapped on benefits rather than in work."

Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller MP said: "The prime minister is right that we must increase our resilience but he cannot achieve that if he won't name the greatest strategic challenge we face.

"It's clear we can't trust a Trump-led America anymore and the government should be doing everything it can to rebuild ties with our closest allies in Europe."

A spokesperson for Reform UK said: "If we don't want to be at the mercy of global crises, the answer is obvious: Use our own energy, control our borders and put the British people first."

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: "Starmer is finally waking up to a reality Greens have been raising for years, and been attacked by him for - we cannot rely on the US for security, we need European security partnerships."

"And yes, we must end fossil fuel dependence but Starmer's words are not a plan... energy bills are soaring, the gap between rich and poor grows, and this government tinkers at the edges," Polanski added.

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