WAR is coming for working people in the form of pressure on living standards, Sir Keir Starmer conceded today.

The Prime Minister warned British workers to be prepared for hardship as oil prices soared as a result of the continuing US-Israel aggression against Iran.

He said: “The longer this goes on, the more likely the potential for an impact on our economy, impact into the lives and households of everybody and every business.”

But the premier offered little in the way of concrete measures to address the crisis. 

The government wanted to “get ahead” and “look around the corner,” he said but this has so far amounted to nothing more than dispatching Chancellor Rachel Reeves to international crisis talks.

He claimed that the energy cap would offer a measure of protection to working people but campaigners warned that this would not be sufficient.

Simon Francis of the End Fuel Poverty coalition said: “While the energy price cap provides some short-term protection, it only delays the impact of rising global prices rather than removing it.

“If the gas price crisis continues, it will feed through into the price cap decisions later this year, potentially pushing bills up again. 

“That is why global conflicts can quickly translate into higher costs for households here.

“And while households face uncertainty, energy firms have already generated more than £125 billion in UK profits since 2020. 

“Ministers must ensure the system works for consumers, not just the energy giants, by accelerating homegrown renewables, rolling out a nationwide insulation programme and reforming energy pricing so bills are no longer tied so closely to fossil fuel volatility.”

Public ownership campaign We Own It director Cat Hobbes said: “Starmer is right that it’s the job of government to ‘look around the corner’ and prepare. 

“Other countries have publicly owned energy companies that can take a lead in protecting households from global shocks. 

“Privatisation of energy has left the UK vulnerable. The government should be using public ownership as a tool to bring down bills.”

The mounting economic crisis compounds the political crisis for the government, with Sir Keir trying to cling to the remnants of his relationship with Donald Trump after the US president renewed attacks over his initial reluctance to support the attack on Iran.

Asked today if Trump was risking a world war, the prime minister said: “We do need to find a way to de-escalate the situation and that’s what a lot of our discussions are about — how do we find a way to de-escalate this situation and make sure it doesn’t escalate even further than it already has.”

Sir Keir spoke to Mr Trump over the weekend.  A Downing Street spokesman said: “He talked about how it’s really important to emphasise that the US and the UK are working together every single day.

“He also emphasised the importance of acting in the national interest for British people.”

The Prime Minister also talked up Britain’s growing military involvement in the conflict, and its close co-operation with the US.

“In the region, we have our military personnel and US military personnel co-located in the same places, in the same bases,” he said.

“Both the US and UK are working together, protecting those bases. So in terms of the relationship the work that we necessarily have to do together is going on as you would expect.”

Mr Trump received unsurprising backing for his pressure on the premier from former prime minister Tony Blair, who told a private gathering that Britain should have co-operated with the US attack from the outset.

Ministers brushed aside his intervention at the weekend, but some backbenchers were more forthright in their view of Mr Blair’s comments.

Jon Trickett MP said: “Apparently Tony Blair is telling people that Starmer was wrong to hesitate over the attack on Iran. 

“We don’t need any lessons from the warmonger in Iraq. A prolonged period from of silence from him would be most welcome.”

And Socialist Campaign Group secretary Richard Burgon underlined that “Blair is the last person on Earth anybody should listen to about war, given his role in the illegal invasion of Iraq. 

“That caused devastation across the Middle East and left our country less safe. Truly learning the lessons means refusing any support for Trump’s war on Iran.”

Pressure was also mounting on Downing Street to call off the impending state visit of King Charles to Washington.  

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Given Trump’s illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up energy bills, Keir Starmer should advise the King to call off April’s state visit to the US. 

“A state visit should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country.”

Sir Ed pointed out for good measure that “Donald Trump is corrupt. He’s immoral. He’s out of control.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Working people are now facing a Donald Trump-made cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s right that the Chancellor calls for de-escalation and recognises the real threat to households and industry up and down the country.

“While household energy bills are stable for now, it’s clear that Trump’s war threatens living standards with other costs like petrol and mortgage rates already rising.

“The government must stand ready to pull out all the stops and shield households and firms from this global shock.”

Chancellor Reeves told MPs that she was keeping an eye on the energy giants, saying: “Let me be absolutely clear. I will not tolerate any company exploiting the current crisis to make excess profits at consumers’ expense.”