Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride has urged ministers to back President Trump’s request for British assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, describing the situation as critically urgent.
Speaking to GB News, he stated: “We certainly have a pressing need to get the strait open, there’s no doubt about that.
“20 per cent of our oil and gas going through there, and the impact, obviously it’s having on prices, energy prices, and the inflationary effect that that will have in our own economy, particularly if the war continues for some considerable period of time.”
The Conservative frontbencher stressed Britain must act decisively on this matter after being “very slow to the mark” at the start of the conflict.
Sir Mel was sharply critical of the Government’s approach to Washington, pointing to their early refusal to permit American forces use of British military bases.
He noted this position was eventually reversed, though not before relations with the US had deteriorated significantly.
“So when it comes to these latest requests from the President, I think they have seen in the context, I’m afraid, the flat footedness of this Government and the fact that they’ve already damaged that special relationship with our most important ally,” he told the broadcaster.
The Shadow Chancellor insisted Britain needed to “step up to the plate” on the current situation.
Sir Mel Stride has urged Keir Starmer to ‘step up’ and assist Donald Trump in the Strait of Hormuz
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Turning to the question of Government assistance for households, Stride acknowledged that support was essential for those relying solely on oil to heat their homes, given the substantial cost increases they currently face.
However, he raised doubts about the viability of broader intervention packages.
“But the second thing is, you have to ask questions about are the public finances in a position such that it’s possible to provide large scale support now?” he said.
The Shadow Chancellor emphasised that any assistance must be properly targeted towards those most in need, warning that widespread schemes carry enormous expense.
Keir Starmer has addressed the ‘attacks’ on his Iran response, declaring ‘time will show that we were right’
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POOL
Stride drew a comparison with the energy crisis of 2022, arguing that Britain’s economic position has weakened considerably since then.
The national debt has grown substantially, he suggested, leaving far less room for fiscal manoeuvre.
“So my view is that the way that this economy has been mismanaged by the government is actually going to be making it much harder to step in at scale and support people through this difficult time,” he told GB News.
The Shadow Chancellor’s remarks represent a direct challenge to ministers over both their handling of the US relationship and their stewardship of the public finances.
Sir Mel told GB News that the Labour Government has been ‘very slow off the mark’
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GB NEWS
Quizzed by GB News on the state of his relationship with Donald Trump, Sir Keir assured GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope that he still has a “good relationship” with the President.
He told GB News: “It’s a good relationship. We had a good discussion yesterday about the Straits, as you would expect. We’re strong allies, have been for decades, but it is for me to act in what I consider to be the best interests of Britain.
“I have to keep that uppermost in my mind, and it is interesting, for want of a better word, that those that two weeks ago were urging us to go headlong into the full blown war are beginning to have second thoughts about that. And there’s a reason for that.
“The problem, as I pointed out, the leader of the opposition last Wednesday said if you’re prime minister, you don’t get to come back a week later and say, oops, I made a mistake about that war. You have to make the decision that you genuinely believe is in the best interest of the British people from the get go.”