Iran conflict 'likely' to affect cost of living in UK, British premier warns

LONDON

The US-Israel war will “likely” impact people in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has admitted, as he outlined measures the government is taking to mitigate economic effects.

“The job of government is obviously to get ahead, to look around the corner, to work with others. And the chancellor speaks to the governor of the Bank of England on a daily basis," Starmer said at a community center in London on Monday.

“We're looking cross-departmental within the government, assessing the risks, monitoring and talking to our international partners as well about what more we can do together to reduce the likely impact on people here and businesses here of course," he added.

"But it is important to acknowledge that that work is needed, because people will sense ... that the longer this goes on, the more likely - the potential for an impact on our economy and impact to the lives and households of everybody and every business," he said.

He added that “some people” will try to use the conflict to “divide communities in this country and tear people apart."

"We mustn't let that happen," he warned.

Speaking about his decision not to allow the US to use British bases to strike Iran, and only permitting “defensive” strikes, he said: “Those decisions about what's in Britain's best interests are decisions for the prime minister of Britain. That's how I've approached all of the questions and all the decisions that I've had to make. It is really important. That's a fundamental principle - that the UK prime minister would make the decisions, using our values, our principles, in the best interests of our country. And it's really important that we, are very, very clear about that principle.”

Trump wrote on Saturday that he did not want British aircraft carriers deployed to the Middle East. “We don't need people that join wars after we've already won,” he said.

On Sunday the two leaders also spoke about military cooperation, including the use of British Royal Air Force bases to support the “collective self-defense of partners in the region.”