Starmer says Iran and Ukraine wars could reshape global order and ‘define us for a generation’ – UK politics live
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog, follow along to get the latest updates.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is in France today for the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Vaux-de-Cernay, near Paris, where she is expected to speak with US secretary of state Marco Rubio. On top of the agenda is the conflict in the Middle East, with reports suggesting Rubio will ask ministers for help reopening the strait of Hormuz.
In early comments ahead of the summit, Cooper said Iran “cannot hold the global economy hostage”, adding that she wants to see a “swift resolution” to the Middle East crisis.
She also expressed “deep concern” over Russia’s ties with Iran “that have been longstanding in terms of shared capabilities”. The US and European powers have accused Russia of helping Iran target US forces in the region, which Moscow has denied.
Russia and Iran have significantly deepened their military and strategic ties since Moscow’s continuing invasion of Ukraine. The Russians have used Iranian drones extensively during the war and the two countries have devised ways to circumvent western sanctions to sell oil abroad.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the Iran and Ukraine wars could have “huge implications” for the future and could reshape the global order.
“How they end and on what terms could well define us for a generation,” he told Sky News.
In other news:
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Starmer is visiting a school in London this morning, as new government guidance advices parents to limit screen time for children under the age of five to one hour a day, while under-twos should not be watching screens alone.
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Peter Mandelson will reportedly be asked to hand over messages from his personal phone as part of the government’s disclosure of documents related to his appointment as UK ambassador to the US. The government has so far only had access to his work phone. Starmer told Sky News that he “beats himself up” over Mandelson’s appointment, saying it was a mistake he would never repeat.
Key events
The second day of the G7 meeting near Paris is under way. We heard from Yvette Cooper earlier this morning before the summit began, saying she and other foreign ministers will discuss the conflict in the Middle East “where we want to see a swift resolution that reaches regional stability and security and opens the strait of Hormuz”.
The narrow waterway, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels, has been effectively closed since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, with Tehran threatening to attack vessels in retaliation. The closure has sent oil and gas prices soaring around the world, particularly in Asia, where the crisis is impacting daily life.
“Iran cannot be able to just hold the the global economy hostage as a result of a strait which is about international shipping routes and the freedom of navigation that has been so strongly supported at the United Nations, but also by countries across the world,” Cooper said.
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog, follow along to get the latest updates.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is in France today for the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Vaux-de-Cernay, near Paris, where she is expected to speak with US secretary of state Marco Rubio. On top of the agenda is the conflict in the Middle East, with reports suggesting Rubio will ask ministers for help reopening the strait of Hormuz.
In early comments ahead of the summit, Cooper said Iran “cannot hold the global economy hostage”, adding that she wants to see a “swift resolution” to the Middle East crisis.
She also expressed “deep concern” over Russia’s ties with Iran “that have been longstanding in terms of shared capabilities”. The US and European powers have accused Russia of helping Iran target US forces in the region, which Moscow has denied.
Russia and Iran have significantly deepened their military and strategic ties since Moscow’s continuing invasion of Ukraine. The Russians have used Iranian drones extensively during the war and the two countries have devised ways to circumvent western sanctions to sell oil abroad.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the Iran and Ukraine wars could have “huge implications” for the future and could reshape the global order.
“How they end and on what terms could well define us for a generation,” he told Sky News.
In other news:
-
Starmer is visiting a school in London this morning, as new government guidance advices parents to limit screen time for children under the age of five to one hour a day, while under-twos should not be watching screens alone.
-
Peter Mandelson will reportedly be asked to hand over messages from his personal phone as part of the government’s disclosure of documents related to his appointment as UK ambassador to the US. The government has so far only had access to his work phone. Starmer told Sky News that he “beats himself up” over Mandelson’s appointment, saying it was a mistake he would never repeat.