James O’Brien gives verdict on Starmer’s address to the nation

James O'Brien reacts as the Prime Minister delivers a sobering message to Britain. 00:16 Starmer stands up for NATO. 01:43 An admission that Brexit did 'damage' to the economy. 05:57 The Daily Mail reaches a different verdict... 07:07 One of James' favourite callers, Ash, rings in to give his assessment. Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the impact of the Iran war will “affect the future of our country” but insisted that “no matter how fierce this storm, we are well-placed to weather it”. In a speech to the nation today, Sir Keir said that "how we emerge from this crisis will define us for a generation." He said he was not prepared to "ask the British people once again to go through a crisis and say business as usual." He added that the conflict in Iran was "not our war" and reiterated that the UK "will not be drawn into the conflict" as it was not in the national interest. At a press conference in Downing Street today, he said: "I want to reassure the British people that no matter how fierce this storm, we are well placed to weather it, and that we have a long-term plan to emerge from it a stronger a more secure nation.” Sir Keir also announced Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper would host a meeting of international leaders aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route being blocked by Tehran. Military planners will be convened following that meeting to “look at how we can marshal our capabilities” and keep the Strait clear after the fighting ends, Sir Keir added. Iranian state media said that Tehran was planning to reopen the Strait but not to the US and Israeli ships, and with conditions of passage for other nations, including a £1.5m toll for each boat. In his speech today, Sir Keir added that he was not prepared to ask the British people to relive the energy shocks of the 1970s, insisting they would “make Britain fairer”. He said: “I’m not prepared to ask the British people once again to go through a crisis, come out of it and say business as usual, back to the status quo.” Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #jamesobrien #ukpolitics #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup