The US-Israel war against Iran has seen a spike in the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, and Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer is eager to fix it.
This afternoon, Keir Starmer is set to host an emergency meeting with senior ministers. The meeting is being held to discuss the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. Concerns have risen since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. This is because its impact is causing a drastic surge in living costs globally.
Joining Starmer for the official Cobra Committee meeting is a credible selection of British government officials. Including Ed Miliband (Energy Secretary), Andrew Bailey (Governor of the Bank of England), Rachel Reeves (Chancellor of Exchequer) and more.
What is the UK government doing to help?
Starmer says he will use “every lever that’s available to the government” to ensure the cost-of-living crisis is addressed. “Cobra is the opportunity at the highest level to bring people together on matters of real, significant national importance,” says the prime minister.
He continues:
“Obviously, Cobras are usually used for military considerations, consular considerations, but I think with the Iran war, most people are very concerned now, not only what they’re seeing on their screens in relation to the conflict itself, but also that question of ‘How is it going to affect me and my family?’”
How long has the UK had a cost-of-living crisis?
The UK’s cost-of-living crisis has been a problem since 2022. Following two consecutive years of the country being locked down. This was a result of the spread of the deadly virus COVID-19. Since then, the economy has been fighting to rectify the financial damage that period caused. The UK has been raising its prices to sky-high levels in a bid to fix the problem.
What does this have to do with Iran’s invasions of the Middle East?
The US-Israel war on Iran has added distinct tension to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. This is because Iran’s recent attack saw the country inflict detrimental damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) factory. Countries all over the world are facing the repercussions of this war. This is because we now have a lack of energy resources, in addition to an increase in cost to gain access to them.
