'We should not be at the mercy of events abroad' - Starmer

'We should not be at the mercy of events abroad' - StarmerJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKate WhannelPolitical reporterGetty ImagesSir Keir met aircrew members during a visit to Taif Airbase in Saudi Arabia on WednesdayThe UK must become more resilient to deal with a "volatile and dangerous" world where "shocks" like the conflict in Iran are frequent, the prime minister has warned. Writing in The Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer said he was "thinking about the long-term, and remaking this country" so that people "are not at the mercy of events abroad". Separately, he told ITV's Talking Politics podcast he was "fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down... because of the actions of Putin or Trump".The prime minister is currently on a three-day trip to the Gulf to meet regional allies.On Wednesday he met the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah and on Thursday he travelled to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.His visit comes as a fragile ceasefire pausing the Iranian conflict has come under strain, with disagreements over whether the truce covered Lebanon. On Thursday evening, Sir Keir held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Downing Street says the two men discussed the need "for a practical plan to get shipping moving" through the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane that has been effectively closed as a result of the conflict. Israel to hold talks with Lebanon as Beirut attack death toll rises to at least 303Israeli strikes on Lebanon are wrong and should stop, PM saysShips remain cautious approaching Strait of Hormuz amid fragile ceasefireWhy fuel and food prices could still be affected for monthsThe closure of the strait has had an impact on the cost of living in the UK with petrol and food prices driven.Speaking to Talking Politics, Sir Keir said the events of the past two months had demonstrated why the UK needed to have "...