Keir Starmer LIVE: PM publicizes £53m vitality payments assist in Iran battle press convention
Keir Starmer has announced £53million in energy bills support for British families amid war in the Middle East.
At a major press conference in Downing Street, the PM said that his top priority is to help working people with “the cost of living through this crisis”. He announced a £53million “immediate support” package for vulnerable households who use hearing oil to warm their homes.
Mr Starmer was challenged on Donald Trump’s demand for Royal Navy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas route being blockaded by Tehran. Overnight, the US President warned the future of Nato is at stake unless allies including the UK offer military aid in the Middle East.
The PM says he is working with allies on a “viable plan” to reopen the Strait but that a solution is not “straightforward”. The UK is also considering sending mine-hunting drones to the region rather than a warship.
Follow live updates below…
UK-US special relationship is “good”, PM says
Mr Starmer is asked to rank the UK’s special relationship right now with Donald Trump’s US.
The PM says it’s “good” relationship but he is acting in Britain’s best interest by not pulling the country into the war.
The PM replies: “It’s a good relationship. We had a good discussion yesterday about the Straits, as you would expect. We’re strong allies. Have been for decades. But it is for me to act in what I consider to be the best interests of Britain.”
Starmer ‘not ruling anything out’ on energy price cap help
Mr Starmer is asked about whether he will cap energy bills through the energy price cap – which is due to go up in July.
The PM says: “I do know how worried people will be about this… We’re not ruling anything out, but it is very difficult to say at this juncture what the position will be in July, which is when the current energy cap runs out, or what the position will be in September. And obviously our focus at the moment is de-escalating.”
Gas and electricity bills are covered by regulator Ofgem’s price cap which is fixed until June. But if the conflict continues and Iran maintains its stranglehold on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, then households could face dramatic hikes.
Starmer asked about Mandelson files
This is the first time the PM has been at a press conference since the Mandelson files were published last week.
He is asked about a claim made in the files that the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US was “rushed”. Mr Starmer says the independent adviser said the Government went through the “proper process”.
But he continues: “Look, the process wasn’t strong enough. And that’s why, last year I moved to strengthen the process and we’ll strengthen it again. My reflection is the process wasn’t strong enough.”
PM takes questions from reporters
Asked about Donald Trump’s demands for the Royal Navy to help in the Strait of Hormuz – and whether he was refusing to meet them – the PM said: “It’s something I discussed with President Trump yesterday on the phone. There have been discussions going on in relation to a viable plan. We want to make sure that that involves as many partners as possible.
“That’s been our stated objective here, particularly talking to European partners, inevitably talking to Gulf Partners and to the US because we need a credible, viable plan if we can. And as I said a moment ago, this is to say the least, not easy. It is not straightforward.”
Starmer attacks opposition leaders over war stance
Keir Starmer attacks opposition leaders who he said would have recklessly pulled Britain into the Iran war.
The PM says he has been “attacked” for not joining the offensive in Iran, but that he has “stood by his principles”. “Our decision should be based on a calm, level-headed assessment of the British national interest, and that if we are to send our servicemen and women into harm’s way, the very least they deserve is to know that they do so on a legal basis and with a proper thought through plan.“
In an attack on his critics, he continuesL “Now there are others who would have made a different decision. Two weeks ago. They would have rushed the UK headlong into this war without the full picture of what they’re sending our forces into, and without a plan to get us out. That is not leading. It’s following. My leadership is about standing firm for the British interest, no matter the pressure.”
PM sets out five major cost of living steps – including £53million in support
The PM said the economy is in a better state now then before the war in Ukraine – when energy bills last spiralled.
He sets out five steps to tackle the cost of living.
-
“First we have capped energy bills until the end of June, saving the average household £117 . Now that’s in addition to the warm Homes discount of £150 for the most vulnerable in society.”Mr Starmer also said he is giving a “legal direction” to energy companies “to ensure that every penny of the savings that we delivered through last year’s budget is passed directly onto customers”.
-
“We have extended the cut in fuel duty until September, and we’ve introduced the cheap fuel finder, forcing petrol stations to publish their live prices to make it easier for drivers to choose the lowest price.” But the PM is facing calls to scrap the planned fuel duty hike in September.
-
The PM sets out major support for people dealing with the cost of heating oil. “I’m announcing immediate support for vulnerable heating oil customers today, providing £53million for those households that are most exposed.”
-
“Fourth, we are pushing ahead with our long term plan to build Britain’s energy security and independence because otherwise we will continue to be subject to wild fluctuations in oil and gas prices.” He said ensuring our country relies on “homegrown British energy” will stop tyrants like Putin and the Ayatollahs from being “free to attack our energy security”.
-
“We will continue to work towards a swift resolution of the situation in the Middle East because there is no question, ending the war is the quickest way to reduce the cost of living.”
PM admits reopening Strait of Hormuz is ‘not simple’
Keir Starmer says reopening the Strait of Hormuz is “not a simple task” .
The PM says he is working with our allies “to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible.”
PM reiterates support for Ukraine
PM says he will meet Ukraine’s President Zelensky soon.
He says the war in Iran must not “turn into a windfall for Putin”.
The PM is up now – and says he wants war to end ‘as quickly as possible’
Keir Starmer is up at the lecturn in Downing Street where he is addressing the nation.
Setting out the UK’s priorities, he says “first we will protect our people in the region”, second “we will not be drawn into the wider war” and thirdly the UK is working towards a resolution that brings “stability” to the region.
“I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible,” the PM says. He says the longer the war goes on, the worse it is for the cost of living.
Fuel prices surge, latest figures show
The RAC said the average price of the fuel at UK forecourts on Sunday was 160.3p per litre.
This is compared with 142.4p when the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began on February 28. The 13% increase means diesel is at its most expensive level since November 2023.
Petrol prices are up 7% over the same period, rising from 132.8p per litre to 141.5p per litre. The last time petrol was more expensive was August 2024.
Oil prices – which have a significant effect on the cost of wholesale fuel – have exceeded 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since 2022 in response to Iran’s stranglehold on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
UK ‘should table UN emergency resolution to reopen Strait’
The Liberal Democracts have called for the UK to table an emergency resolution at UN Security Council to reopen Strait of Hormuz.
The party’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Calum Miller said: “We need to get ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz to deliver vital supplies and prevent a cost-of-living catastrophe, but no one should be deploying Navy vessels just because Trump says so.
“The UK should take the lead and table an emergency resolution at the UN Security Council to get the Strait of Hormuz open safely.”
Low cost solar panels will be available in supermarkets
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband yesterday set out an accelerated package of energy help in response to the Iran crisis.
As part of the measures, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on balconies or other outdoor spaces will be made available in the UK for the first time. Ministers will work with the industry to get these onto the market as soon as possible.
The package will also see the next annual renewables auction be brought forward to July. The Government’s most recent auction round delivered the single biggest procurement of offshore wind that Europe has seen.
PM’s first priority is helping Brits with ‘cost of living’
Inside Downing Street, Keir Starmer is expected to say his first priority is helping Brits with “cost of living”.
The PM will say: “It’s moments like this that tell you what a Government is about.
“My answer is clear. Whatever challenges lie ahead, this Government will always support working people. That is my first instinct – my first priority – to help you with the cost of living through this crisis.”
Heating oil support to help Northern Ireland must be ‘meaningful’
Northern Ireland will be closely watching the PM’s announcement on support for households who use heating oil.
The PM visited the country last week, where around 60% of households use heating oil and have seen a sharp rise in prices since the start of the war.
Stormont Finance Minister John O’Dowd has said any Government subsidy for those who use heating oil to warm their homes must be “meaningful”. Mr O’Dowd wrote to the Treasury last week calling for a financial intervention over the cost of the energy price spike caused by the war in the Middle East.
What is Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz?
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz as a means of pressuring the US in his first public statement.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, told CBS News on Sunday that Iran is “open to countries who want to talk” about the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
A fire near Dubai Airport cancelled flights
Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire nearby.
Authorities said it was quickly contained and no injuries were reported. It triggered chaos at the airport with fights cancelled.
Emirates said in a statement that it expects to operate a limited schedule after 10am Dubai local time on Monday, March 16. The airline added that some flights from Monday’s schedule have been cancelled. Read more here.
Iran warns UK it would respond if ‘crime of aggression’ committed
Iran has told the UK to stay out of the fight to secure the Strait of Hormuz, warning it would respond to the “crime of aggression”.
Tehran’s blockade of the sea passage, where 20% of the world’s oil ordinarily passes through each day, is driving up energy prices. Britain is considering sending minehunting drones to help the situation (see below post).
Asked about Britain helping the US unblock the Strait, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, yesterday said: “That would be complicity in the crime of aggression, crime against peace, and that would for sure be responded by Iran.” He added: “We are not at war with the UK”
PM wants ‘swift resolution’ – but ceasefire hopes deteriorate
What action is the UK considering in the Middle East?
Donald Trump has called for allied warships to protect tankers in the region and help unblock Iran’s stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain is not expected to send ships but is considering depolying minehunting drones to secure a key oil shipping route in the Middle East.
Minehunting drones could be sent from the Royal Navy’s Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, which is already currently in the Middle East. Meanwhile officials are exploring the use of interceptor drones, made in the UK for Ukraine to use against Russia, to be used against Iran’s aerial Shahed drones.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We have an autonomous minehunting capability deployed in the region.”
Starmer will slam energy firms ‘exploiting crisis’
During his speech, the PM will raise concerns about claims of energy suppliers cancelling orders and jacking up prices.
In a searing warning, Mr Starmer will say: “I will not tolerate companies trying to exploit this crisis to make money from working people… If the companies have broken the law, there will be legal action.”
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Energy Secratry Miliband promised to intervene if companies engage in unfair practices that would hit customers facing a rise in the price of home heating oil, which is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap.
Gas and electricity bills are covered by regulator Ofgem’s price cap which is fixed until June. But if the conflict continues and Iran maintains its stranglehold on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, then households could face dramatic hikes. Read the full interview here.
PM faces calls to scrap fuel duty hike
During the press conference, Mr Starmer could be asked about demands for a planned fuel duty hike to be scrapped amid spiralling energy bills due to the war in Iran.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on Sunday hinted ministers may consider ditching the hike. Asked if plans to end the fuel duty freeze in September would be reversed because of spiking oil prices, the Cabinet minister said: “Let me answer that by saying this, which is, I’ll be candid with you, we don’t know how long this conflict is going to go on and therefore, with five months to go until September, we will have to see where we are, obviously.”
He added: “We will stand by the British people in this crisis, and we’ll do what it takes to do that.” Fuel duty, the 52.95p per litre tax on fuel paid at the pump, is due to rise for the first time in 16 years at the end of August.
Support for households who use heating oil to be announced
Targeted support worth tens of millions of pounds is expected to be unveiled for households who rely on heating oil.
It comes after MPs in rural areas warned their constituents living in fuel poverty are unable to heat their homes. The PM visited Northern Ireland last week, where around 60% of households use heating oil and have seen a sharp rise in prices since the start of the war.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the weekend confirmed she had “found the money” to support those who are not protected by the energy price cap.
PM spoke to Donald Trump on phone
On Sunday evening, Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump for the first time since the US president called for help from other nations to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The pair “discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping, which is driving up costs worldwide”, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
The PM is expected to be challenged further on his response to Mr Trump’s demands at the press conference this morning.
Trump’s approach to foreign affairs branded ‘transactional’
A Cabinet minister has said Donald Trump has a “transactional” approach to international affairs – and that the UK-US relationship will survive all the “personalities” involved.
DWP Secretary Pat McFadden was asked about Donald Trump saying that if other countries don’t help in sending these ships, it could be very bad for the future of NATO.
He replied: “That’s the president right there. The quote that you’ve just given has summed him up. It’s a very transactional presidency and our job is to navigate this, to always remember that the friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom runs very deep.
“It’s a good relationship. It’s enduring and I think it will outlast all the personalities involved.”
Trump ramps up demands on UK
Donald Trump has over the weekend increased his demands for the UK to help the US repoen the Strait of Hormuz.
The US President wants Royal Navy warships to secure the key oil and gas route, which Iran has blockaded. The UK could potentially send mine-hunting drones to the region rather than a warship.
Overnight, Mr Trump said Nato faces a “very bad” future should its member states fail to help, adding: “We’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us.” He has previously called for the UK, China, France, Japan and South Korea to send ships to secure the route.
PM to slam Badenoch and Farage
Keir Starmer will use his press conference to slam his political opponents Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage over their approach to the Iran crisis.
The Prime Minister is expected to say: “Moments like this also tell you about leadership… Now, there are others who would have made a different decision two weeks ago.
“They would have rushed the UK headlong into this war without the full picture of what they were sending our forces into and without a plan to get us out. That’s not leading, it’s following. My leadership is about standing firm for the British interest. No matter the pressure.
“And I believe time will show that we have the right approach. Right on the economy and the cost of living. Right on defence and energy. And right on this war, in the best interests of the British people.”
Keir Starmer to stage major intervention as spiralling energy bill fears rise
Keir Starmer will today stage a major intervention to reassure British families that he will support them “whatever challenge lies ahead” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The PM will promise that his top priority is to help working people with “the cost of living through this crisis” as fears grow of spiralling energy bills.
In a press conference in Downing Street at 10:30am, he will announce plans worth tens of millions of pounds to support people using heating oil to warm their homes. He will also raise concerns about claims of suppliers cancelling orders and jacking up prices.
In a searing warning, Mr Starmer will say: “I will not tolerate companies trying to exploit this crisis to make money from working people… If the companies have broken the law, there will be legal action.”
Read a preview of the PM’s speech here.
