PM launches Labour's local election campaign with focus on cost of living

Sir Keir Starmer has said his government "bears down on the cost of living" as he launched Labour's campaign for local elections in England.

Speaking to supporters in Wolverhampton, the prime minister said the elections on 7 May were taking place against an "uncertain" backdrop with ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran.

He said people were worried about how the conflicts would affect their household bills and highlighted government policies he argued would ease the impact.

Since the US and Israel launched missile strikes against Iran one month ago, there has been increasing concern that rises in the price of oil will lead to higher energy bills.

Sir Keir said that from Wednesday, as a result of action taken by the government, energy bills would come down by about £100 and stay down until the end of June, regardless of what happens in the Iran conflict.

From April some green levies will be scrapped or funded from general taxation, reducing energy bills.

The prime minister sought to contrast his stance on Iran with that of his political opponents in the Conservatives, Reform UK and the Green Party.

"This is not our war... we will defend British lives and British interests in the region, will stand by our allies in the Gulf region, but we're not going to get dragged in," he said.

In a veiled reference to US President Donald Trump - who has repeatedly criticised the prime minister for not getting more involved in the conflict - Sir Keir said he would stick to his position "whatever the pressure and whoever it is coming from".

He accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK's Nigel Farage of wanting "to go straight in with both feet into the war without thinking through the consequences".

"If they had been in government, we'd be in a war with no plan," he added.

Meanwhile, he said Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, would leave the UK "weak and exposed" if he were elected to government.

Pointing to other ways the Labour government was trying to alleviate the cost of living, Sir Keir cited an expansion of childcare funding, the removal of the two-child benefit cap and a rise in the minimum wage.

The two-child benefit cap means parents can only claim universal credit or tax credits for their first two children.

Following pressure from Labour backbenchers, the government said it would lift the restriction - a change that will come into force from April.

The start of April will also see the hourly minimum wage for over-21s rise by 50p to £12.71. Workers aged 18-20 will get an 85p rise to £10.85.

Since September of last year, free childcare was expanded to allow eligible working parents to access 30 hours of childcare during term time for children aged nine months to four years old.

The policy was first announced by the Conservatives, but Labour committed to implementing it when they came into government.

Sir Keir said voters should back his party "because it makes a huge difference to so many lives across the country".

Labour is going into the elections with consistently low poll ratings, however Sir Keir insisted his party was "relishing" the chance to talk to voters on the doorstep and would campaign "on the front foot".

In addition to elections in around 5,000 seats across 136 local councils in England, voters in Scotland and Wales are electing representatives to their national parliaments.