Starmer says he’s ‘unapologetic’ about staying focused on national interest, when asked how he copes with ‘rude’ Trump
Meg Hillier ended the liaison committee hearing by pointing out to Starmer that it must be challenging dealing with Donald Trump, who could be “quite rude” about the UK one day, and different the next day. It must be like dealing with different presidents, she said. She asked him if he had a message for the country about how he coped with this.
Starmer replies:
Yes, I’m utterly focused on what’s what’s in the best interests of our country, and I’m unapologetic about that.
And notwithstanding the pressure that comes from elsewhere, I will remain laser-focused on what is in the British national interest.
And a lot of what is said or done is undoubtedly said or done to put pressure on me. I have no doubt about that. I understand exactly what is going on, but I’m not going to be wavering on this.
I’m the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what’s in the British national interest.
That has served me well, in recent weeks. And that is the principle that I’ll continue to adhere to as we go forward, taking difficult decisions, notwithstanding the pressure that comes from me from a number of different places.
Key events
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How petrol and diesel prices have risen in UK since Iran war started
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Iranian ambassador summoned by Foreign Office over alleged hostile surveillance in UK
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Starmer says he’s ‘unapologetic’ about staying focused on national interest, when asked how he copes with ‘rude’ Trump
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Starmer sidesteps questions about which countries could be protected by US strikes happening from British bases
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HMS Dragon has arrived near Cyprus and will join operations defending it from tonight, Healey tells MPs
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Starmer reaffirms commitment not to join Iran conflict, saying ‘this is not our war’
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Starmer says he has not given up hope of UK joining EU’s Safe defence procurement loan scheme
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Starmer hints further energy support might be targeted, not universal, as he stresses cost of Tories’ universal energy bailout
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Starmer declines to back Labour peer’s call for cap on energy company profits
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Starmer accused by Tory Bernard Jenkin of not accepting UK in effect already at war
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Starmer says he does not want to see Type 31 frigate orders delayed
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Starmer says public should not be worried risk of missile attack, saying military doing ‘very good job’ protecting UK
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Starmer rejects claim UK not ready with military deployments when Iran war started
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Rachel Reeves to make statement to MPs tomorrow about economic response to Iran war crisis, Starmer says
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Starmer says he does not ‘meaningful concern’ about UK running short of energy supplies
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Starmer says No 10 planning on basis Iran war ‘could go on for some time’
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Starmer says he was aware of US-Iran talks that led to Trump shelving bombing ultimatum
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Starmer says antisemitic arson attack an attack ‘not just on Jewish community’, but on everyone who values tolerance
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Starmer to face questions from Commons liaison committee
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Badenoch admits Tory ‘lower taxes’ pledge in local elections does not necessarily mean council tax cuts
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Defence secretary John Healey to make statement to MPs about Iran war
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No 10 won’t say if Starmer explicitly urged Trump to shelve his power plants bombing ultimatum to Iran
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No 10 defends delay in disclosing Iranian missile attacks aimed at Diego Garcia in Chagos Islands
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No 10 says ‘productive talks’ between US and Iran welcome in response to Trump suspending threat to bomb power plants
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No 10 won’t comment on Trump posting sketch mocking Starmer on social media, saying PM ‘entirely focused on job’
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Housing minister said the government “will not accept profiteering” from energy companies
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Minister says there’s ‘huge differentiation’ in petrol prices around country, implying some firms are profiteering
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Trump says he’s postponing strikes on Iranian power plants for a five day period
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Streeting says government will fund replacement ambulances for those destroyed in antisemitic arson attack
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DfE says new school nurseries will cut childcare costs in poorest areas
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Starmer condemns ‘horrific antisemitic attack’ on Jewish community ambulance service in London
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Starmer says there’s ‘no assesssment’ saying Iran targeting Britain with long-range missiles
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Starmer says ministers will look at ‘every lever’ available to help people with cost of living at Cobra meeting on Iran war
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No 10 says Starmer had ‘constructive’ call with Trump after he shares TV sketch mocking PM as scared of him
How petrol and diesel prices have risen in UK since Iran war started
Figures from the RAC show the average price of unleaded fuel has risen more than 14p a litre to 147.19p since the end of February, adding £8 to the cost of filling up a family car which currently stands at £81, the Press Association reports. PA says:
Petrol prices were last this high in early June 2024, the RAC added.
For drivers of diesel vehicles, the situation is “far worse” with a litre up 29p to 171.17p, its highest price since mid-January 2023.
This means a tank now costs £94, £16 more than it did at the start of the Middle East conflict.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Given how many rely on their cars, households are really feeling the effects of the conflict in the Middle East.
“As a barrel of oil has been trading well over 100 dollars for the last three days and looks set to remain at that level, drivers are in for a rough ride at the pumps in the run-up to the Easter break with no end to price increases in sight.
“With the price of petrol likely to go above 150p a litre in the next week and diesel heading to 180p, it’s looking like it will be the most expensive Easter on the roads since the early days of the war in Ukraine in 2022.”
Iranian ambassador summoned by Foreign Office over alleged hostile surveillance in UK
Iran’s ambassador to the UK has been summoned by the Foreign Office over his country’s “reckless and destabilising actions” in Britain and overseas, the Press Association reports. PA says:
Seyed Ali Mousavi was called into the Foreign Office after an Iranian and a British-Iranian dual national were accused of carrying out hostile surveillance on London’s Jewish community.
The Foreign Office said the UK takes the threat posed by Iran and its proxies “extremely seriously”.
The diplomat was summoned on the instruction of Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, and was met by Middle East minister Hamish Falconer.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The summons follows the recent charging of two individuals, one Iranian national and one British-Iranian dual national, under the National Security Act, on suspicion of providing assistance to a foreign intelligence service.
“National security remains our top priority, and we take threats posed by Iran and those who do its bidding extremely seriously.
“This government will take all measures necessary to protect the British people, including exposing Iran’s reckless and destabilising actions at home and abroad.”
In the Commons, responding to John Healey (see 4.24pm), James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, accused the government of “extraordinary double standards”, claiming the UK had been “relying on the US to defend us whilst denying them the use of our bases”.
Starmer says he’s ‘unapologetic’ about staying focused on national interest, when asked how he copes with ‘rude’ Trump
Meg Hillier ended the liaison committee hearing by pointing out to Starmer that it must be challenging dealing with Donald Trump, who could be “quite rude” about the UK one day, and different the next day. It must be like dealing with different presidents, she said. She asked him if he had a message for the country about how he coped with this.
Starmer replies:
Yes, I’m utterly focused on what’s what’s in the best interests of our country, and I’m unapologetic about that.
And notwithstanding the pressure that comes from elsewhere, I will remain laser-focused on what is in the British national interest.
And a lot of what is said or done is undoubtedly said or done to put pressure on me. I have no doubt about that. I understand exactly what is going on, but I’m not going to be wavering on this.
I’m the British prime minister and my job is to be absolutely focused on what’s in the British national interest.
That has served me well, in recent weeks. And that is the principle that I’ll continue to adhere to as we go forward, taking difficult decisions, notwithstanding the pressure that comes from me from a number of different places.
Starmer sidesteps questions about which countries could be protected by US strikes happening from British bases
Keir Starmer has said the UK will allow the US to use its bases to attack Iran if it is doing so to attack missile sites being used by the Iranians to attack Britain’s allies in the region. At the weekend the government extended this to authorise US use of UK bases to attack missile sites attacking shipping in the strait of Hormuz.
Meg Hillier asked Starmer to explain which states under international law were being defended under these operations.
Starmer said it was “predominantly our allies in the region”.
When Hillier asked Starmer to name some of those countries, Starmer said it was “all of those in the region”.
Defending the decision to extend the approval mandate at the weekend, Starmer said it was not logical to allow operations against Iranian missile strikes that were hitting hotels, but not if they were hitting ships nearby.
Liam Byrne suggests the UK should introduce “a really hard ban” on imports from illegal settlements. Will you consider that?
Starmer says he would keep this matter under review.
At the liaison committeer Andy Slaughter told Keir Starmer that, although the government had promised concrete action to stop the extension of illegal settlements on the West Bank, nothing seemed to happen.
Starmer did not accept that. He said there had been action.
When Slaughter challenged that, Starmer said this matter was “under consideration”.
HMS Dragon has arrived near Cyprus and will join operations defending it from tonight, Healey tells MPs
John Healey, the defence secretary, has told MPs that HMS Dragon has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean and will begin “operational integration into Cyprus’s defence” tonight.
In a statement to MPs, he said:
RAF and Navy pilots have now racked up nearly 900 flying hours in defence of Cyprus, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. We have more jets in the region than at any time in the last 15 years.
There are an extra 500 air defence personnel in Cyprus, and as more military capabilities are committed to the eastern Mediterranean, we’re working closely with the Republic of Cyprus to coordinate the contribution of allies, including the US, France and Greece, to reinforce the security of Cyprus.
And I can confirm that HMS Dragon has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean and tonight begins operational integration into Cyprus’s defence alongside allies.
Debbie Abrahams asked Starmer about Israel’s treatment on Unwra, the UN refugee agency in Palestine.
Starmer said it was important to the UK to support the UN charter.
Q: The international court of justice has ruled that the occupation of the West Bank is unlawful and must end. This is jeopardising the possibility of a Palestinian state. Will you work with the French, Germans and others on action to address this?
Starmer says the UK’s recognition of the state of Palestine last year, with other countries, was important.
He says the UK has long taken the view that the occupation is unlawful.
Starmer says more countries are backing the statement on reopening the strait of Hormuz issued by the UK and other countries last week.
It’s becoming a bigger group of countries that are committed to working on de-escalation as far as the straits are concerned, which is hugely important for our economy more generally.
Starmer reaffirms commitment not to join Iran conflict, saying ‘this is not our war’
Going back to the Iran war, Starmer says the UK has allowed its bases to be used “for the purposes of collective self-defence”.
But he goes on:
But this is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war. So that’s the divide that I’ve kept very firmly in place.
Chi Onwurah is asking the questions now.
Q: People voted for Brexit partly because they were worried about losing sovereignty to the EU. Do you think people might feel the same way about US tech giants?
Starmer says he does not want to reopen the Brexit debate. He says there has been a reset in relations with the EU.
On tech, he says the UK has for a long time had a close relationship with the US on issues of defence and security.
(He does not engage with the substance of what Onwurah is asking.)
Q: Are you worried the government is too dependent on Palantir?
Starmer says all the contracts, like those issued to Palantir, go through “a very careful, process”.
Jenkin asks Starmer why the Polish president is saying his country should pull out of Safe because he thinks it would be cheaper for his country to borrow the money itself.
Starmer says he does not know about this, but says he will look into it.
Starmer says he has not given up hope of UK joining EU’s Safe defence procurement loan scheme
Q: Do you think the UK will be able to join the EU’s Safe defence procurement loan scheme?
Starmer says he is talking to the EU about this.
He says some EU countries were “disappointed” that the UK was not included. He says there have been “intensive discussions” about resolving this.
Liam Byrne goes next. He puts it to Starmer that the cost of improving the electricity grid should come off energy bills, and should be paid for instead through general taxation.
Starmer says all this should be kept under review. But he says firms and individuals would still end up paying the cost that way.
Bernard Jenkin comes in again. He says the government has an “ideological bias against exploiting our own natural gas resources”.
Starmer does not accept that. But he says decisions have to be made in accordance with the law.