{"text":[[{"start":8.65,"text":"Chancellor Rachel Reeves will on Monday urge G7 partners to eschew protectionism and trade barriers, as concerns intensify over energy and other critical supply chains as a result of the Strait of Hormuz remaining blocked."}],[{"start":26,"text":"Reeves will warn allies within the group — which also includes the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Britain — to “act together, not in ways that shift pressure on to partners or weaken collective resilience” in response to the economic fallout from the war in Iran, according to the UK Treasury."}],[{"start":46.69,"text":"On the same day, Sir Keir Starmer will grapple with the impact of the conflict at a roundtable in Downing Street with senior figures from the energy, shipping, financial and insurance sectors, military commanders and officials."}],[{"start":63.98,"text":"Concerns are rising in government about the Iran war amplifying cost of living pressures at home, with Reeves planning to extend support to the most vulnerable households this winter following a surge in energy prices."}],[{"start":78.27,"text":"She and Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, will kick off the week meeting their G7 ministerial counterparts and the club’s central bank governors to discuss long-term energy security. The pair will reiterate the UK’s position that investing in renewables and nuclear, while transitioning away from gas power, is the best way to exit the “rollercoaster” of global oil and gas prices. "}],[{"start":105.07,"text":"The British chancellor would call for co-ordinated G7 action and “caution against unilateral measures, including protectionism and new trade barriers, which can disrupt supply chains and push up costs”, the UK Treasury said."}],[{"start":121.27,"text":"Energy traders and fuel suppliers warned last week that UK supermarkets and refineries were on course to run down their stockpiles of diesel by mid-May if the conflict in Iran were not resolved soon, while worries have also arisen about European jet fuel supplies."}],[{"start":140.1,"text":"The government has urged calm amid jitters about petrol supply and prices. “Just fill up as normal,” Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, told British drivers when appearing on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme. “Any government would always have contingency plans to make sure that we can deliver what is necessary,” she said, but added “production isn’t affected” at present. "}],[{"start":166.64,"text":"Starmer’s roundtable meeting in Downing Street is expected to include representatives from energy companies Shell, BP, Centrica and Equinor, shipping and logistics firms Maersk and CMA, and the finance and insurance sector including HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Lloyd’s of London."}],[{"start":186.98999999999998,"text":"The UK military’s Commander Maritime Operations will provide an operational update on security in the strait and wider Middle East, while the prime minister will set out Britain’s efforts with allies to achieve de-escalation in the region, and hear from industry leaders about the issues they are facing."}],[{"start":206.57999999999998,"text":"The meeting comes on the same day Starmer will launch Labour’s local election campaign in the West Midlands ahead of the May 7 vote."}],[{"start":214.96999999999997,"text":"He is expected to invoke the wars in Iran and Ukraine to bolster his pitch to the electorate."}],[{"start":221.86999999999998,"text":"The “volatile world we live in now” tests “not just our security, our strength on the world stage” but also “our fairness at home, our unity”, he will say. The prime minister will contrast his refusal to join the US-Israeli war with Iran with the Conservatives and Reform UK, who he will allege would have “rushed us into this”. "}],[{"start":246.70999999999998,"text":"Starmer will stress his commitment to take action to “protect our forces, our people, our allies in the region”."}],[{"start":254.48999999999998,"text":"As international discussions continue about how to restore security in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, the Royal Navy is preparing to upgrade one of its vessels with autonomous de-mining systems, as first reported by The Sunday Times."}],[{"start":272.71999999999997,"text":"RFA Lyme Bay, an auxiliary dock landing ship that is currently in Gibraltar, would be equipped to “store, prepare, deploy and recover a variety of autonomous and crewless technology, from underwater drones to minehunting boats”, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday."}],[{"start":291.91999999999996,"text":"No decision had been made on whether to deploy the ship, UK officials said. The UK has signalled its participation in any activities to protect shipping in the strait would require significant de-escalation in the conflict first."}],[{"start":307.30999999999995,"text":"The Conservatives will on Monday seek to pile pressure on the government with proposals to reduce household energy bills, including removing VAT for the next three years, which the party said would produce an average saving of £94 per household a year. "}],[{"start":324.75999999999993,"text":"Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will visit Aberdeen and an oil rig in the North Sea as she outlines the policy, which would be funded by scrapping heat pump subsidies and GB Energy, a publicly owned investment company, and abolishing the Renewables Obligation subsidies. "}],[{"start":343.79999999999995,"text":"The opposition party also advocates increasing North Sea oil and gas production, which it says would result in higher tax revenues."}],[{"start":362.23999999999995,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1774879932_6937.mp3"}