Keir Starmer has said he is “fed up” with the effect Donald Trump’s actions in the Middle East are having on people in the UK, while appearing to compare the US president with Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to ITV’s Robert Peston on Thursday, the prime minister said families and businesses were being caught in repeated swings in energy costs because of decisions taken by Trump and Putin on the world stage.
“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 Putin or Trump across the world,” Starmer said.
The remarks came as Starmer also called for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, underlining the wider impact that tensions in the Middle East can have on energy supplies and prices.
His comments reflect growing concern in government over the knock-on effects of international conflict and political decisions on the cost of living in Britain. Energy bills have remained one of the most sensitive issues for households, with prices often influenced by instability in global markets.
Starmer’s intervention also placed Trump and Putin in the same frame in relation to the pressure their actions can place on British consumers, a striking line from a sitting prime minister speaking publicly about energy costs and foreign policy.
The interview with Peston added to the government’s efforts to explain how events far beyond the UK’s borders can feed through into everyday bills. Starmer’s emphasis was on the unpredictability facing families and firms, with energy costs rising and falling in response to developments overseas.
His remarks were delivered on Thursday and reported on Friday, April 10, 2026, against a backdrop of continuing debate over the political and economic consequences of global instability.
