Starmer to Labour MPs: Isolationism won't solve cost-of-living crisis

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has addressed backbenchers at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (Alistair Grant/PA) Alistair Grant

Sir Keir Starmer has told Labour MPs that isolationism will not solve Britain's cost-of-living crisis, defending his government's focus on international engagement. At Monday's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting, the Prime Minister argued that a volatile world demands active participation in global affairs to tackle domestic concerns.

"One thing that is crystal clear is that we are moving into a world that is very different to the one most of us grew up in," Starmer told backbenchers. "And in a world this volatile – you have to be on the pitch. You have to be in the room to tackle the issues working people care about."

The Prime Minister insisted Britain cannot address pressing domestic issues through isolation. "The cost-of-living crisis will not be solved by isolationism. You cannot deliver peace in Ukraine without being in the room. And you do not secure trade terms for companies like JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) by putting gesture politics first," he said.

A No 10 source later clarified that Starmer was not defending his handling of the US president, but asserting the vital need for UK global engagement as international crises affect domestic life.

Progress on domestic front

Despite acknowledging the cost of living as the "biggest issue" for working people, Starmer presented an optimistic outlook for 2026. He pointed to falling waiting lists, rising wages outpacing prices, and controlled inflation with six interest rate cuts – "a huge difference for families and businesses."

"Crime is falling. Immigration is firmly under control. Public services are looking up – we're turning the page on austerity. We're investing in new infrastructure the length and breadth of the country," the Prime Minister said.

Global challenges shape agenda

Foreign affairs have dominated the opening days of 2026. Talks for a potential peace deal in Ukraine are progressing, while protests continue in Iran and the US maintains threats to take over Greenland.

Starmer has recently engaged with European allies and Donald Trump. Last week, the UK assisted a US operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker. The Prime Minister travelled to Paris for a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" – allies supporting Ukraine.

Starmer concluded with a message about political renewal: "And with each change we make for the better, we show working people something even more important. That decline can be reversed. Opportunity and pride can be restored. The future can be better for them and their families. And politics can be a force for good."

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).