The latest escalation in the Gulf is a stark reminder that the cost of global instability is felt not just in military briefings but in the wallets of working families. Iran’s new missile tests threaten US bases and the sea lanes that keep fuel and goods flowing. For the North, a disruption in the Gulf means higher petrol prices, more expensive food, and less certainty for the working poor who already stretch every pound.
The government talks of naval deterrence, but this cannot be a flashy announcement without a long-term strategy. We need a Royal Navy presence that reassures both our allies and our own people that the price of bread will not double overnight because of a distant conflict. The working class do not have the savings to ride out another shock.
The time for cheap talk is over. We need vessels, we need crews, we need a commitment that the state will protect the economy of the household, not just the economy of the City.
