'You're right to worry about bills and jobs,' PM tells UK on Trump war

 Sir Keir Starmer braced Britain for the economic fall-out from Donald Trump’s Iran war stressing that “people are rightly worrying” about the impact on their bills, jobs and communities.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the Government was intently focused on dealing with the cost-of-living crisis faced by so many households which could be exacerbated by the Iran conflict.

Sir Keir and Trump have clashed repeatedly over the PM’s refusal to allow US bomber planes to fly from UK bases for the initial and offensive airstrikes on Iran.

But the Prime Minister, who has cast doubts on the legality of Trump’s war, also voiced concerns over its economic impact.

“People are rightly worrying what this means for life at home – their bills, their jobs, their communities,” Sir Keir said ahead of visiting a community centre in London on Monday.

He added: “I want to address those concerns head on.

“I will always be guided by what is best for the British public and no matter the headwinds, supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind.”

Homeowners already face rising mortgage bills, with the Nationwide, HSBC and the Coventry Building Society among lenders raising rates.

They are changing mortgage deals on offer as hopes were dampened by the war of more cuts in interest rates by the Bank of England.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves last week held an emergency meeting at No11 Downing Street with oil and gas chiefs after a warning that annual energy bills could rise by £500 if the conflict continues for some time.

The cost of oil has soared, sparking fears that petrol and diesel prices could soon rise in Britain.

Stock markets, including the FTSE 100, have been rocked by the Iran conflict.

There are also warnings over Britain’s gas supplies.

In a startling intervention, Qatar’s energy minister has said that the war could “bring down the economies of the world”, predicting a widespread shutdown of Gulf energy exports that could send oil to $150 (£113) a barrel.

Saad al-Kaabi told the Financial Times that even if the war ended immediately, it could take “weeks to months” to resume normal exports after an Iranian drone strike on Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas plant early in the war.

Iran has been targeting major oil sites in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as it lashes out at other countries in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched its campaign to topple the Tehran regime.

It has also effectively almost closed the Strait of Hormuz by threatening to sink any vessels seeking to go through it.

Tankers carrying a fifth of the world’s oil go through the strait and a closure for any length of time would have a significant impact on global supplies.

The Government is making raising living standards its No1 priority as it seeks to recover from its nosedive in popularity ahead of the next general election, expected in 2029.

It has faced criticism for its wave of tax rises which are blamed for hitting the UK economy, with unemployment soaring in London, particularly among young people.

But the UK economy has also been impacted by global blows such as Trump’s tariff’s, the Ukraine war and now the Iran conflict.