Starmer confirms UK will not support US blockade of strait of Hormuz – UK politics live

PM says opening waterway is ‘vital’ as he rules out any UK involvement in US moves to blockade strait

Good morning. The parliamentary recess is over, the Iran war disaster isn’t, campaigning is ramping up because the May elections are less than four weeks to go, and there will be plenty for MPs to discuss as they meet in the Commons this afternoon. The full timetable, as usual, is down below.

Keir Starmer is in Greater Manchester this morning, on a visit linked to the English local elections. But he is expected to be in the Commons later giving an update on the UK response to the Iran war, and in an interview on Radio 5 Live a few minutes ago he confirmed that Britain will not join the US in enforcing the new blockade of the stait of Hormuz proposed by Donald Trump.

We’re not supporting blockade.

The strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be. That means that oil and gas is not getting to market. That means the price is going up. That means everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills. And I don’t want that to happen.

I want their energy bills to be stabilised and lower. And so it is, in my view, vital that we get the strait open and fully open.