Starmer Addresses Public Concerns Amid Iran Crisis
They are not the words a prime minister wishes to use from the Downing Street podium to describe the emotional state of their nation.
Sir Keir Starmer identified three primary concerns among the public: the safety of their family and friends, the economic impact of the conflict on the UK, and the risk of further escalation.
This press conference appeared largely aimed at reassuring the British public.
However, as he acknowledged, the reassurance he could provide was limited.
'Huge undertaking'
Regarding those with family and friends stranded in the Middle East, the prime minister sought to temper expectations.
He announced that the repatriation flight from Oman, initially scheduled for Wednesday but delayed due to technical issues, is now airborne, and approximately 4,000 Britons have already returned home.
Nevertheless, this represents only a small fraction of the 140,000 British nationals who have informed the government of their presence in the Middle East.
"This is a huge undertaking,"
he said, describing the operation as many times larger than the much-criticised evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021.
"It's not going to happen overnight,"
he added.
The government's private hope — though not an expectation — is that the conflict will subside, eliminating the need to evacuate all those individuals.
Officials are also aware that, as demonstrated by Afghanistan, complex consular challenges often become the most visible measure of the government's competence in managing an international crisis.
On the economic front, the prime minister's tone was similarly cautious.
Echoing comments by Rachel Reeves earlier in the week, he stated that the UK has the right economic plan, and the current uncertainty reinforces its necessity.
However, he acknowledged that energy security concerns are now prominent, and it would not be surprising if he faces questions in the coming days about whether the government will consider subsidising household energy bills should the conflict continue.
Regarding the potential for further escalation, the prime minister warned that the conflict
"could continue for some time."
In addressing these aspects of the war, the prime minister — who has often appeared more at ease with foreign policy than domestic issues — was implicitly defending his management of the situation so far.
Public opinion
At one point, he explicitly defended his approach.
He stated that the UK's longstanding position is that persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions should be achieved through a
"negotiated settlement"with the country.
He added that this rationale informed his decision that the UK would not participate in the initial strike.
Notably, this framed the decision purely as a policy matter, contrasting with his Commons statement earlier in the week, where he expressed doubts about the existence of a coherent plan and strongly implied the strikes were illegal.
Evidence of public opinion so far suggests that had Starmer chosen to join or assist the early strikes, it would have been unpopular.
There is a discernible confidence among ministers that they have navigated a challenging few days reasonably well.
However, if the economic impact worsens, tens of thousands of Britons remain stranded, and the conflict escalates, many within the government will be deeply concerned.
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